Greg Erb and Risa Petty, both products of the two city public schools, on Monday earned the most prestigious academic awards the Kansas University athletics department has to offer.

During ceremonies at the Lied Center, Erb and Petty were named KU’s male and female scholar-athlete of the year, respectively.

“It’s amazing,” KU athletics director Bob Frederick said of the tandem finish by the two former Lions. “It just reflects the quality of a Lawrence High education.”

Frederick may be slightly prejudiced. Not only did he teach chemistry at LHS back in the late ’70s, his oldest son Brian teaches English there now. Moreover, son Brad is an LHS grad and another son, Mark, is an LHS junior.

Still, it was a red-letter day for everyone connected with the Red and Black.

“I’m pretty proud,” said Petty, a four-year member of the rowing team who went to KU as a walk-on after graduating from LHS in 1996.

“It’s something real special,” said Erb, who spent four years on the football team, starting seven games and playing in 33 as a safety. Like Petty, Erb was a walk-on. He graduated in 1995.

Petty never received a grade below an A on Mount Oread. In fact, the last B she received was in honors English when she was a Lawrence High sophomore.

Petty is majoring in social welfare and in human development and family life. She plans to enroll in graduate school this fall and earn a masters degree in gerontology.

“I’m interested in policy-making for older adults,” she said.

Erb, who has a 3.78 grade-point average in biology, plans to go to medical school. Currently, Erb says, he’s shopping around with Kansas, Stanford, UCLA, Duke and North Carolina among his possibilities.

Erb will delay med school enrollment until the fall of 2001. In the meantime, he has been working nights at the O’Connell Youth Ranch and baby-sitting his 10-month old son, Isaiah, during the day.

“I’m a Mr. Mom,” Erb quipped.

Kristie Wilson, Erb’s girlfriend, is Isaiah’s mother.

Also on Monday:

Soccer player Cynthia Dahle, a senior from Anchorage, Alaska, earned the Big 12 Bank of America Community Champion of the Year award. Bank of America donated $5,000 to the KU scholarship fund in Dahle’s name.

Stephen Benedict, a professor of molecular bioscience, was presented the Del Shankel Teaching Excellence Award.

A total of 30 student-athletes were honored for posting perfect 4.0 grade-point averages. Nearly 170 more were feted for posting grade points above 3.0.

Football player Andrew Davison was voted the Commitment to Excellence Award from KU Support Services.