Colorado University Athletics
Granstrom Earns NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship
May 07, 2015 | Skiing, Herbst Academic Center
INDIANAPOLIS - Senior Brooke Wales Granstrom of the National Champion University of Colorado Ski Team has been awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship as she looks to continue her education following her graduation this coming December.
Created in 1964, NCAA postgraduate scholarships promote and encourage education by rewarding the Association's most accomplished student-athletes. The NCAA awards up to 174 postgraduate scholarships annually from its base of more than 460,000 student-athletes from more than 1,100 schools nationwide.
"I didn't really realize how big of a deal it was, I got the e-mail from the NCAA and forwarded it to Chris (Howlett, her academic coordinator) right away," Granstrom said. "He was excited and asked if he could tell the others in Herbst (Academic Center), and I said yes because I couldn't get over there until later in the day. I went to his office and everybody kept coming in to congratulate me. That made me think of the magnitude of getting the scholarship.
"It's a big deal for me, and it's a big deal for CU," she continued. "It's cool that I can help the school get recognition."
The Sammamish, Wash., native finished off her spring semester Wednesday with a pair of finals. She is on track to earn a degree in Integrative Physiology in December and through the fall she had a GPA of 3.975, which includes all A's and five credits of A-minus. She will then be able to use her $7,500 scholarship for her next academic pursuit after obtaining her undergraduate degree.
"Right now I'm thinking PA (Physician Assistant) school, so this will help a lot," Granstrom said. "We'll see, first I have to get in and I have to do some things before I can apply. I have until August of 2018 to use the scholarship."
In the classroom, Granstrom has achieved at the highest levels, earning mention on CU's 4.0 Club and twice being honored as having the highest GPA in her class among all CU student-athletes. A three-time member of the National Collegiate All-Academic Ski Team, she has been on the Athletic Director's Honor Roll and Dean's List each of her first five semesters at CU.
Equally as impressive on the slopes for the Buffaloes, Granstrom has helped lead the Buffs to two NCAA Championships and is one of the top ranked alpine skiers in the United States. She earned two first-team All-America honors and was three times named All-RMISA. She earned the ski team's outstanding women's alpine award in 2013 and was given the Outstanding Career Award following the 2015 season.
In 42 career races, she finished 37 of them with 33 top 20 finishes, including 26 in the top 10, 17 in the top five, 10 on the podium (top three) and one race victory. She finished 18 of her 21 career giant slalom races and 17 times earned a top 10 finish.
To qualify for the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, student-athletes must excel academically and athletically, be in their final year of eligibility and plan to pursue graduate study. Student-athletes must also maintain at least a 3.2 grade-point average and be nominated by their institution's faculty athletics representative.
Granstrom is the Buffs second recipient of the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship in the past three years, as Nikki Look was awarded one in 2013 and is finishing her second year at the School of Medicine at CU's Anschutz Medical Campus.
