Megan Jendrick Wins Iba Citizen Athlete Award

TULSA, Okla. May 4. MEGAN Jendrick will receive the Henry P. Iba Citizen Athlete Award for women this year at the First United Methodist Church in Tulsa Oklahoma. The Iba Citizen Athlete Awards are given in recognition of America’s premiere athletes who have excelled in their sport and have shown by their actions a desire to help others. The Iba Citizen Athlete Awards were created to recognize and honor one female and one male athlete annually who best exemplify the high degree of citizenship in the image of Henry P. Iba, former OSU and US Olympic basketball coach.

WHO: The Rotary Club of Tulsa. Bob McKenzie, chairman, on behalf of Eddie Sutton, head basketball coach at Oklahoma State University and advisory board chairman of The Rotary Club of Tulsa’s Thirteenth Annual Henry P. Iba Citizen Athlete Awards, presented by Williams.

WHAT: KJRH Sports Director, Al Jerkens, will announce the 2006 female recipient of the Henry P. Iba Citizen Athlete Awards, presented by Williams. This year’s recipient will be Olympic Gold medalist, Megan Quann Jendrick.

WHERE: The Rotary Club of Tulsa general meeting. Located inside the First United Methodist Church, 1115 South Boulder Avenue, Tulsa, OK

WHEN: Wednesday, May 3, at approximately 12:15 p.m.

Megan Quann Jendrick:
Megan (Quann) Jendrick is an Olympic Gold Medalist. She won two gold medals at the 2000 Summer Olympics and has set 26 American records, one World record, nine US National titles and nine US Open titles in her swimming career — to date. She was only 16 years old when she won Olympic Gold Medals in the 100-meter breaststroke and the 400-meter medley relay at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

After missing qualifying for the Athens Games by only 11 hundredths of a second finishing third in the 100 breaststroke and being ineligible to compete as a collegian because she accepted prize money and sponsorship in 2000, Megan stepped away from competitive swimming. She took up coaching, mentoring youth swimmers at King Aquatic Club under coach Sean Hutchinson and conducting clinics and camps. In December, 2004, she married her high-school sweetheart, Nathan Jendrick, a writer and personal trainer.

Then, under coach Sean Hutchinson, she reentered the pool in January of 2005. Ten days later, on her 21st birthday, she swam her fastest practice time in the 100-meter breaststroke after a challenge from her coach.

She was the star of the 2005 World University Games in Izmir, Turkey, winning three gold medals and setting two Universiade records — the first medals for the entire U.S. delegation at these Games.

She is currently training for Nationals in August and for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials and has set a goal of breaking the world record in her best events (the 100 and 200-meter breaststroke).

Megan started swimming at age 9 and was initially afraid to put her head underwater. By age 13 she qualified for her first Nationals. She won her 1st National title at age 14 and qualified for the US Olympic team at age 16.

Megan was born in Tacoma, Washington and graduated from Emerald Ridge High School in Puyallup, Washington. She and her husband, Nathan, reside in Puyallup today.

She is involved with the American Lung Association and Junior Achievement. She has appeared in public service announcements shown at movie theaters and on television warning about the dangers of tobacco use. She has also been a speaker at elementary schools promoting goal setting and confidence to America’s youth.

Other Celebrities:
Presenting this year’s keynote address will be former NFL quarterback, Archie Manning, father of Indianapolis Colts quarterback and Iba Awards recipient Peyton Manning and New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning.

The emcee will be John Anderson, ESPN SportsCenter anchor. Male recipient will be Drew Bledsoe, Dallas Cowboys Quarterback.

For Tickets: The Henry P. Iba Citizen Athlete Awards, presented by Williams, will be held Monday, June 5, 2006 at 6 p.m. at the Renaissance Tulsa Hotel & Convention Center. Tickets are $175 per person. For more information, contact The Rotary Club of Tulsa office at (918) 584-7642 or the website: ibaawards.com.

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