June 7, 2007

PARK RIDGE, Ill. - Senior shortstop Shawn Roof (Paducah, Ky.) was recognized by the Big Ten as one of conference's 22 Outstanding Sportsmanship Award winners, the league announced Wednesday. Roof is the only baseball player honored by the conference, which named a male and female student-athlete from each member institution as an award winner.

One member of each varsity sport on each campus was chosen by the institution as a Sportsmanship Award honoree, and from each university's list two Outstanding Sportsmanship Award winners were then selected. Caroline Moore, an Illini swimmer, was the university's other honoree.

Roof recently wrapped up a stellar career in the Orange and Blue in which he broke records for single-season and single-game stolen bases, as well as single-game, season and career hit-by-pitch. A fan favorite, he finished his four-year stint as a career .303 hitter with 65-of-83 stolen bases, swiping all of those bags in the past two seasons.

He also was a leader in the athletic department's Hometown Heroes, in which Fighting Illini student-athletes participate in various community service activities including visiting schools and hospitals. In addition, Roof made regular appearances at Illinois Kids Club events, including bowling nights and pizza parties.