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NCAA salutes top academic winners from fall championships
NCAA.org
A repeat winner in football, along with a three-time recipient and a two-time honoree in different sports, lead the list of 22 student-athletes named as the top academic performers from the NCAA fall championships season.
Senior Jared Kiesow had the distinct honor of winning back-to-back Division III football national championships and Elite 89 awards for Division III’s University of Wisconsin, Whitewater. Liz Phillips, a senior student-athlete at Washington University in St. Louis, was honored with her third Elite 89 award at the 2011 NCAA Division III Women’s Cross Country Championships. Phillips’ previous two awards came from the 2010 and 2011 Division III indoor track and field championships. Whitney Bishoff, a senior student-athlete at Anderson University (South Carolina), received her Elite 89 award at the 2011 NCAA Division II Women’s Cross Country Championships. She also won the award at the 2011 Division II indoor track and field championships.
The Elite 89 award, founded by the NCAA, recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. The Elite 89 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s championships.
All GPAs are based on a straight grading scale to ensure consistency among institutions. All ties are broken by the number of credits completed.
Eligible student-athletes are sophomores or above who have participated in their sport for at least two years with their school. They must be an active member of the team, traveling and competing at the championship.
The 22 award winners by sport and division (I, II, III or National Collegiate), school and major of study and GPA are:
|
Sport (Division) |
Name |
Institution |
Major (GPA) |
|
Men’s Cross Country (I) |
Joseph Thompson |
University of North Carolina at Greensboro |
Finance (3.963) |
|
Men’s Cross Country (II) |
Dalton Moberly |
University of Central Missouri |
Social Studies Education (3.950) |
|
Men’s Cross Country (III) |
John DeWitt |
University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh |
Secondary Education – Mathematics (4.0) |
|
Women’s Cross Country (I) |
Ahna Lewis |
West Virginia University |
Secondary Education and English (4.0) |
|
Women’s Cross Country (II) |
*Whitney Bishoff |
Anderson University (South Carolina) |
Early Childhood Elementary Education (4.0) |
|
Women’s Cross Country (III) |
**Liz Phillips |
Washington University in St. Louis |
Biomedical Engineering (4.0) |
|
Field Hockey (I) |
Marta Malmberg |
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill |
Psychology (3.933) |
|
Field Hockey (II) |
Nancy Stehman |
West Chester University of Pennsylvania |
Special Education (4.0) |
|
Field Hockey (III) |
Meredith Jeffries |
The College of New Jersey |
Deaf and Hard of Hearing/Elementary Education (3.875) |
|
Football (FCS) |
Greg Sprowls |
Sam Houston State University |
Biology (3.750) |
|
Football (II) |
Eric Love |
Pittsburg State University |
Construction Engineering Technology (3.683) |
|
Football (III) |
***Jared Kiesow |
University of Wisconsin, Whitewater |
Elementary Education (3.894) |
|
Men’s Soccer (I) |
Paul Willoughby |
University of North Carolina, Charlotte |
International Studies (4.0) |
|
Men’s Soccer (II) |
Harald Gracholski |
Lynn University |
Business Administration (4.0) |
|
Men’s Soccer (III) |
Brad Wassink |
Calvin College |
English and Political Science (3.949) |
|
Women’s Soccer (I) |
Mollie Pathman |
Duke University |
Sports Medicine (3.912) |
|
Women’s Soccer (II) |
Megan Foster |
California State University, Chico |
Undeclared (3.942) |
|
Women’s Soccer (III) |
Jessica Tarantino |
William Smith College |
Economics and Mathematics (4.0) |
|
Women’s Volleyball (I) |
Amanda Saxton |
Florida State University |
Media and Communication Studies (4.0) |
|
Women’s Volleyball (II) |
Kate Barton |
California State University, San Bernardino |
Business (4.0) |
|
Women’s Volleyball (III) |
Tessa Smolinski |
Springfield College |
Communication Disorders (4.0) |
|
Men’s Water Polo |
Brian Donohoe |
University of California, San Diego |
History (3.952) |
* Won award for 2011 Indoor Track & Field
** Won award for 2010 and 2011 Indoor Track & Field
***Repeat award winner
For more information on the Elite 89 award winners, log on to www.NCAA.com/elite89.
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