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Kristi Veltkamp (F/C) University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Statistics: Height: 6'3    PPG: 4.3    RPG: 4.0    APG: 0.9   
Classroom:Veltkamp is a senior human ecology major, carrying a GPA of 3.96. She has won numerous academic awards. Veltkamp received the Model of Excellence award in 2006, which honors GPAs over 3.5. Veltkamp also received the 2006 and 2007 Student-Athlete Scholar of the Year award for having the highest grade point average amongst the student athletes at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. She also is a member of the athletic department's 4.0 Club, a club for athletes who finish a semester with a 4.0 GPA. Veltkamp plans to be a dietician upon her May 2008 graduation.
Character:Veltkamp came to UMES, an historically black institution and public university, after being home-schooled. Her ability to quickly fit in among the student body and touch many of the campus population through her community and campus involvement was amazing. Head coach Fred Batchelor speaks to this the best: "As I reflect on Kristi Veltkamp as a woman of character, I am reminded of joy, strength and peace. Kristi Veltkamp is as unique and as special as they come. Her self-discipline and diligent pursuit to honor her God in every aspect of her life in truly commendable. Kristi's purpose in life is linked to her intelligence, allowing her to reach her fullest potential, placing her in a position to accomplish her life goals. Her greatest asset to this world is the gift of love. She embodies it in abundance."
Community:Veltkamp leads the University's Fellowship of Christian Athletes organization and is involved with numerous other community service activites with her teammates. They are actively involved in the Princess Anne and Salisbury communities. In 2006 and 2007, the UMES women’s basketball players joined other Hawk student-athletes in volunteering their time as mentors for the Project Achieve Program. Project Achieve is a county-wide mentoring program where volunteers are matched up with middle and high school students in Somerset County, Md. At the beginning of the 2007-08 school year, the women’s team traveled to nearby Salisbury, Md., to visit the Mitchell Pond Apartment Complex. There they passed out school supplies to children and organized a basketball game. Afterwards the team signed autographs and spoke about academics with the children of the complex. This season Veltkamp and some of her teammates also helped out with SHORE UP!, stuffing envelopes and organizing mailings to help with their efforts. SHORE UP! envisions a community where individuals and families have the opportunities and resources to live with dignity, achieve their fullest potential, maintain long-term independence and become economically self-sufficient. UMES regularly visits local elementary schools as part of community service initiatives designed to establish and strengthen relationships with area schools. The athletes, including Veltkamp, have had a question and answer session with students at two Somerset County elementary schools, Princess Anne and Greenwood, while also autographing posters for the faculty, students and staff.
Competition:On the court Veltkamp has excelled. She was a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) all-rookie team member in 2004-2005 and followed that up with a sophomore year where she was an All-MEAC second team selection and the 2005-2006 MEAC defensive player of the year. That season she tallied 68 total blocks. She has career highs of 27 points, 13 rebounds and 11 blocks. Last season she was ranked as high as fifth in the nation in blocks per game. This season as one of two seniors with six freshmen on the team, she has become a true leader inspiring and setting good examples for the team.
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