MOSCOW, Idaho – Zack Short and Allison Shimp have been recognized as this week's Vandals of the Week, for their exceptional work in the classroom.

 Short, who is competing in his senior track and field season, earned a B.S. in Exercise and Health sciences in 2020 and is currently pursuing a master's in educational leadership. Short has maintained a 3.66 cumulative grade point average while at Idaho.
 "With my degree I want to pursue a job as a physical education and health teacher," said Short. "Eventually down the road I'm looking to pursue a job as an athletic director."

Shimp, who completed her sophomore season on the Idaho swim and dive team in February, is majoring in math with a minor in psychology. Shimp has earned a 3.38 cumulative grade point average so far.

 "I've always really enjoyed math," said Shimp. "The degree program here for math is pretty good. Psychology is also pretty interesting, learning about the brain and how it works."

Athletes are often recognized for their athletic performance, but Shimp and Short are both happy to be recognized for their efforts in the classroom.

"It means a lot," said Short. "We are here for academics and we spend a lot of our time working on the academic side of things more than we do athletically. It feels really good to be recognized for the hard work that we put in outside of our sports."
 
"It's awesome to be recognized for academics," said Shimp. "We are student athletes, and the student comes first."

Both have had many takeaways from their respective sports that have helped them succeed in the classroom.
 
"Track and field has taught me how to work hard," said Short. "Every day pursuing the things that you are learning and really diving deep into it."
 
"I think one important thing is to be organized," said Shimp. "I know what needs to be done by a certain time or certain day and so planning ahead and knowing how long you have to do it is important."