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Byers Scholar finalists selected

Apr 5, 2010 8:57:13 AM


The NCAA News

 

The NCAA Walter Byers Scholarship Committee has selected six finalists – three male and three female student-athletes – for the annual Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarships.

The finalists for the 2010 awards are:

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 $24,000 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 2010 Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarships.

Following are biographies on this year's finalists.

Bellomy

Bellomy is a three-time all-Big East Conference academic selection for a Seton Hall team that made the conference playoffs for the first time in 15 years in 2009. A biochemistry major, Bellomy wants to focus on medical research in graduate school and eventually pursue a career in pediatrics. Bellomy already is an accomplished researcher, having participated in several projects at Seton Hall and having served an internship last summer at Vanderbilt Medical School. She's also an accomplished singer, having participated in the university choir and having been selected to sing the National Anthem before several volleyball matches.

Mahoney

Mahoney started 26 games at middle linebacker and captained the Northern Iowa team in 2009. He was a four-time letter-winner for a team that finished among the top five in the Football Championship Subdivision rankings three times in the last five years. The economics and English major also served on Northern Iowa's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Mahoney wants to pursue a juris doctorate and a career in law. He's a three-time Special Olympics volunteer and was active in youth clinics on the Northern Iowa campus.

Nixon

Twice Arizona State's leading tackler, Nixon was among the top candidates for two major awards – the 2009 Wuerffel Trophy (athletics, academics and community service) and the 2009 Lott Trophy (defensive impact player of the year). Nixon graduated in December with a degree in political science and wants to pursue postgraduate work in law. Named the 2009 Pacific-10 Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Nixon also was a first-team Academic All-American that year.

Morrell

Morrell is a two-time team captain for an Eastern Illinois baseball squad that won the 2008 Ohio Valley Conference tournament and advanced to an NCAA regional. Eastern Illinois won the OVC regular-season title the following year. Morrell, a pitcher, won 10 games in his career, mostly in relief, and recorded six saves. The biology major is a two-time ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American. He graduated in December and plans to pursue a doctorate in physical therapy.

Schluntz

A 2010 Rhodes Scholar, Schluntz is a nine-time All-American and three-time qualifier for the Division I Women's Swimming and Diving Championships. She's an NCAA and American record-holder and a member of the 2008 national champion Wildcats. Schluntz earned her degree last May in mechanical engineering, a field in which she wants to continue to excel in graduate school. She's a National Merit Scholar and winner of the 2009 Robie Medal, awarded to just three Arizona undergraduates for academic and community achievement.

Theisen

A four-year member of the cross country and track and field teams at St. Thomas (Minnesota), Theisen participated in four Division III cross country championships and twice earned All-America honors. She also was a track and field All-American, anchoring the distance medley relay team to runner-up finishes at the 2008 and 2009 national meets. She also finished second in the 3,000-meter steeplechase last year. Theisen, a two-time Academic All-American, graduated last May with a degree in biology and is seeking a doctorate in medicine.