University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Honors Students at Banquet
2/17/2009 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
This evening, academic achievements were the focal point for 565 University of Minnesota student-athletes, as the 20th Annual Scholar-Athlete Awards ceremony was held in Memorial Hall on the U of M campus.
McNamara Academic Center Director, Mark Nelson and his staff honored 565 true student-athletes, 57 of which had a perfect 4.0, as each of the 25 Gopher sports teams had recipients. A total of 376 student-athletes earned the distinction of being called a Gold scholar-athlete, while 186 were awarded the Maroon scholar-athlete title. To be honored as a Gold scholar-athlete, each recipient must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0, while participating in intercollegiate athletics at the U. Maroon scholar-athletes must have earned a 3.0 GPA in either the 2008 spring or fall semesters.
In addition to honoring the Maroon and Gold scholar-athletes, the MAC also honored the Top-Five male and female scholar-athletes. To be considered a Top Five scholar-athlete, each recipient must be an undergraduate scholar-athlete who has been on their respective team for three consecutive years and earned one of the highest cumulative GPAs. The men’s Top Five scholar-athlete was highlighted by three-time recipient Matt Nohelty (baseball). He was joined by two-time recipient Jeff Tow Arnett (football), Dino Bilankov (tennis), Rick Furseth (track) and Mike Torchia (track/cross country). Heading up the list of female scholar-athletes were two-time honorees Jade Beattie (gymnastics), Heather Dorniden (track and field), Erica Niemiec (rowing), and Jennifer Shaughnessy (swimming and diving), while Elizabeth Yetzer (track/cross country) earns her first honor.
Men’s track and field student-athlete Ibrahim Kabia was bestowed the Richard “Pinky” McNamara Student-Athlete Achievement Award for his ability to “inspire all of us by making an extraordinary effort to succeed regardless of difficult circumstances.” Kabia and his family escaped his native country, Sierra Leone, during the land’s civil war. He and his family moved to the Twin Cities area in 2001. Since joining the team, Kabia went on to become an All-American and is the defending 100-meter Big Ten champion.
This year’s recipients of the Outstanding Student-Athlete Award went to Jamal Abu-Shamala (men’s basketball) and Gabriele Anderson (women’s cross country and track). The award is presented to one male and one female student-athlete who are accomplished in the four major areas emphasized by the NCAA Life Skills Program: Academics, Athletics, Leadership, and Volunteerism.
The Outstanding Academic Team Award is presented to the men and women's teams representing both large and small team categories. Large teams are made up of 22 members or more and small teams are made up of 21 members or less. Winning teams are determined by ranking the percentage of 3.0 semester GPA’s on the team as well as ranking each team by their cumulative GPA. The scores are combined to give overall winners. This year’s winners went to men’s and women’s tennis (small teams), baseball (large men’s team) and women’s cross country (women’s large team).
Soccer and men’s tennis also received the Gladys Brooks and Norman Borlaug Awards, which is given to one female and one male team that has demonstrated the highest level of academic improvement in the past academic year.
In honor of his commitment to the academic success of our student-athletes, Dennis Donovan from the Humphrey Institute was honored with the Tom H. Swain Campus Recognition Award.
Outstanding Academic Team Awards:
Women’s small team: women’s tennis
Women’s large team: women’s cross country
Men’s small team: men’s tennis
Men’s large team: baseball
Tom H. Swain Campus Recognition Award
Dennis Donovan from the Humphrey Institute
Gladys Brooks Team Award: soccer
Norman Borlaug Team Award: men’s tennis
Richard “Pinky” McNamara Student-Athlete Achievement Award
Ibrahim Kabia (men’s track & field)
Top 5 Female Student-Athletes
Jade Beattie Women’s Gymnastics
Heather Dorniden Women’s Track/Cross Country
Erica Niemiec Rowing
Jennifer Shaughnessy Swimming & Diving
Elizabeth Yetzer Women’s Track/Cross Country
Top 5 male student-athletes
Dino Bilankov Men’s Tennis
Rick Furseth Men’s Track
Matthew Nohelty Baseball
Michael Torcia Men’s Track/Cross Country
Jeffrey Tow-Arnett Football
Outstanding Achievement Award
Jamal Abu-Shamala Men’s Basketball
Gabriele Anderson Women’s Track/Cross Country
McNamara Academic Center Director, Mark Nelson and his staff honored 565 true student-athletes, 57 of which had a perfect 4.0, as each of the 25 Gopher sports teams had recipients. A total of 376 student-athletes earned the distinction of being called a Gold scholar-athlete, while 186 were awarded the Maroon scholar-athlete title. To be honored as a Gold scholar-athlete, each recipient must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0, while participating in intercollegiate athletics at the U. Maroon scholar-athletes must have earned a 3.0 GPA in either the 2008 spring or fall semesters.
In addition to honoring the Maroon and Gold scholar-athletes, the MAC also honored the Top-Five male and female scholar-athletes. To be considered a Top Five scholar-athlete, each recipient must be an undergraduate scholar-athlete who has been on their respective team for three consecutive years and earned one of the highest cumulative GPAs. The men’s Top Five scholar-athlete was highlighted by three-time recipient Matt Nohelty (baseball). He was joined by two-time recipient Jeff Tow Arnett (football), Dino Bilankov (tennis), Rick Furseth (track) and Mike Torchia (track/cross country). Heading up the list of female scholar-athletes were two-time honorees Jade Beattie (gymnastics), Heather Dorniden (track and field), Erica Niemiec (rowing), and Jennifer Shaughnessy (swimming and diving), while Elizabeth Yetzer (track/cross country) earns her first honor.
Men’s track and field student-athlete Ibrahim Kabia was bestowed the Richard “Pinky” McNamara Student-Athlete Achievement Award for his ability to “inspire all of us by making an extraordinary effort to succeed regardless of difficult circumstances.” Kabia and his family escaped his native country, Sierra Leone, during the land’s civil war. He and his family moved to the Twin Cities area in 2001. Since joining the team, Kabia went on to become an All-American and is the defending 100-meter Big Ten champion.
This year’s recipients of the Outstanding Student-Athlete Award went to Jamal Abu-Shamala (men’s basketball) and Gabriele Anderson (women’s cross country and track). The award is presented to one male and one female student-athlete who are accomplished in the four major areas emphasized by the NCAA Life Skills Program: Academics, Athletics, Leadership, and Volunteerism.
The Outstanding Academic Team Award is presented to the men and women's teams representing both large and small team categories. Large teams are made up of 22 members or more and small teams are made up of 21 members or less. Winning teams are determined by ranking the percentage of 3.0 semester GPA’s on the team as well as ranking each team by their cumulative GPA. The scores are combined to give overall winners. This year’s winners went to men’s and women’s tennis (small teams), baseball (large men’s team) and women’s cross country (women’s large team).
Soccer and men’s tennis also received the Gladys Brooks and Norman Borlaug Awards, which is given to one female and one male team that has demonstrated the highest level of academic improvement in the past academic year.
In honor of his commitment to the academic success of our student-athletes, Dennis Donovan from the Humphrey Institute was honored with the Tom H. Swain Campus Recognition Award.
Outstanding Academic Team Awards:
Women’s small team: women’s tennis
Women’s large team: women’s cross country
Men’s small team: men’s tennis
Men’s large team: baseball
Tom H. Swain Campus Recognition Award
Dennis Donovan from the Humphrey Institute
Gladys Brooks Team Award: soccer
Norman Borlaug Team Award: men’s tennis
Richard “Pinky” McNamara Student-Athlete Achievement Award
Ibrahim Kabia (men’s track & field)
Top 5 Female Student-Athletes
Jade Beattie Women’s Gymnastics
Heather Dorniden Women’s Track/Cross Country
Erica Niemiec Rowing
Jennifer Shaughnessy Swimming & Diving
Elizabeth Yetzer Women’s Track/Cross Country
Top 5 male student-athletes
Dino Bilankov Men’s Tennis
Rick Furseth Men’s Track
Matthew Nohelty Baseball
Michael Torcia Men’s Track/Cross Country
Jeffrey Tow-Arnett Football
Outstanding Achievement Award
Jamal Abu-Shamala Men’s Basketball
Gabriele Anderson Women’s Track/Cross Country
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