The NCAA Walter Byers Scholarship Committee has selected six finalists for the annual Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarships.

The 2008 finalists are Brenna Burns, cross country and track and field, Davidson College; Dylan Carney, gymnastics, Stanford University; Kevin Nead, swimming and diving, University of Florida; Valeria Silva Merea, swimming and diving, University of Michigan; Jeffrey Stepan, soccer, St. John’s University (New York); and Sarah Zerzan, cross country and track and field, Willamette University.

The Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarships were established in 1988 and recognize the contributions of former NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. The awards encourage academic achievement of student-athletes. Each Byers Scholar will receive a $21,500 scholarship.

Recipients of the award must have a 3.5 grade-point average (4.0 scale), demonstrate evidence of superior character and leadership and show that participation in athletics has been a positive influence on their personal and intellectual development.
Two finalists, a male and a female, will be selected later this month as recipients of the 2008 Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarships.

Following are biographies on this year’s finalists.

Brenna Burns
Davidson College, Cross Country and Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field

A Davidson College cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field captain, Burns holds five school records and has been named to the All-Southern Conference team four times—three in cross country and once in track. In addition to her record-setting performances, Burns, a psychology major, was named to the COSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Team, Omicron Delta Kappa (National Leadership Society), and Psi Chi (National Honor Society in Psychology). Pursing a PhD in developmental psychology, Burns has also been extremely active on her campus and in the community. She is a member of Changing Minds, Davidson’s mental health awareness club and has volunteered in many capacities—as a tutor for Carolina Applied Behavior Analysis Service, an instructor for autistic children at a non-profit treatment center and a coach for Girls on the Run International.

Dylan Patrick Carney
Stanford University, Gymnastics

A four-time NCAA All-American on the horizontal bar and vault, Carney led the Stanford men’s gymnastics team to two consecutive third place finishes at the NCAA Championships. He was the 2006 NCAA National Champion on the horizontal bar and awarded Stanford’s “Block S Award,” given to the most outstanding junior student-athlete in any sport. Excelling equally in the classroom, Carney is graduating from Stanford with a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in biological sciences and will pursue his Doctorate of Medicine. Carney was a three-time NCAA Academic All-American honoree and Rhodes Scholarship finalist. In addition to working in the molecular biology research lab and serving on the S.A.A.C., Carney is a patient intake volunteer at the Arbor Free Clinic and the co-chair of operations for the newly formed student organization, Student EMT Volunteering Abroad.

Kevin Nead
University of Florida, Swimming and Diving

Nead is an exceptional performer on the University of Florida’s men’s swimming and diving team. A four-time SEC All-Conference awardee and two-time NCAA All-American Honorable Mention honoree, Nead will graduate in June with a major in Zoology. Heavily involved in medical research in the areas of immunology, oncology and diabetics, he will pursue a dual Doctorate of Medicine/ Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology during his postgraduate studies. Named the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year and a COSIDA Academic All-American, Nead serves on the campus S.A.A.C, volunteers for charity fundraisers and is a member of Matthews Society, an organization comprised Florida’s top twelve most outstanding student-leaders. Additionally, Nead earned the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research Fellowship, six months of researching diabetes in France.

Valeria Silva Merea
University of Michigan, Swimming and Diving

Silva Merea, a member of the University of Michigan’s swimming and diving team, shines in the pool, classroom and community. This three-time All- Big Ten second team selection and NCAA All-American in the 200-yard medley relay is also a member of the Peruvian National Swim Team. Graduating with a degree in Brain, Behavior and Cognitive Science, Silva Merea will attend medical school. She has been selected to the All-Big Ten Academic team twice and to the CSCAA Academic All-American team for three consecutive years. Her institution has recognized her achievement with numerous academic honors and awards. Although her schedule is packed with international competitions and preparing for medical school, Silva Merea still finds time to work in the community—giving swim lessons, volunteering at hospitals and assisting at church and campus fundraisers.

Jeffery Stepan
St. John’s University (New York), Soccer

A standout soccer student-athlete at St. John’s University, Stepan was an All-Big East second team selection in 2007 and led his team in goals and points scored. Also a team co-captain and Top Drawer Soccer third team All-American, he helped his team to the 2006 Big East Conference Championship and two NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearances. Stepan is a chemistry major who also excels off the field. He volunteers at New York Hospital in Queens and St. Nick’s Men’s Homeless Shelter, serves on the campus S.A.A.C. and has held three different medical research internships. A COSIDA/ESPN The Magazine first team Academic All-American and four-time Big East Academic All-Star, Stepan has earned the prestige of being inducted into St. John’s President’s Society, the highest honor a student can receive at the university.

Sarah Zerzan
Willamette University, Cross Country and Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field

This two-time NCAA Division III national champion and three-time West Region champion in cross country also was a member of three West Region and four Northwest Conference title teams. A four-time All-American at Willamette University, Zerzan is the school record holder in six events. The chemistry major was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society, was a 2006-07 ESPN the Magazine first team Academic All-American and earned the Ralph Purvine Pre-Medical Scholarship as the top pre-med student at Willamette. Co-founder of Willamette’s chapter of the Student Global AIDS Campaign, she helped organize fund-raising, advocacy and awareness events on campus. Zerzan also spent time as a Spanish-English and Russian-English mentor at a local middle school and elementary school. She will pursue a Doctorate of Medicine following her graduation in May.