University of Minnesota Athletics
72 Gophers Earn B1G Distinguished Scholar Award
7/8/2015 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
MINNEAPOLIS (GopherSports.com) -- Seventy-two University of Minnesota student-athletes earned 2014-15 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Awards, conference officials announced on Wednesday, with 20 of Minnesota's teams represented on the list.
The 72 Gopher honorees this year are the second most ever by the Maroon & Gold (86 in 2011-12) while this year's total also stands as second most in the Big Ten Conference behind only Michigan State (78). Student-Athletes must have recorded a minimum grade-point average (GPA) of 3.7 or higher for the previous academic year in order to be eligible for the Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Award.
Among Minnesota's honorees are nine student-athletes who maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA during the previous academic year -- Becca Dyson (women's cross country), Marnie Kinnaird (women's cross country), Jack Metcalf (men's gymnastics), Lisa Weeks (rowing), Kiera Janzen (women's swimming & diving), Jessica Plant (women's swimming & diving), Tori Simenec (women's swimming & diving), Katie Murgic (women's track & field), and Michael Kroells (wrestling).
Big Ten Faculty Representatives established the Distinguished Scholar Award in 2008 to supplement the Academic All-Big Ten program. Similar to the Academic All-Big Ten honor, Distinguished Scholar Award recipients must be letter winners in at least their second academic year at their institution. However, the Distinguished Scholar Award encompasses only students with a minimum GPA of 3.7 or higher for the previous academic year, excluding summer school. The Academic All-Big Ten threshold is a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher for a student's academic career.
Baseball (3)
Jordan Jess
Chris Schaaf
Tim Shannon
Women's Basketball (2)
Joanna Hedstrom
Shayne Mullaney
Men's Cross Country (2)
Matthew Jergenson
Adam Zutz
Women's Cross Country (4)
Becca Dyson
Marnie Kinnaird
Chelsea Pettit
Jamie Piepenburg
Football (2)
Foster Bush
Jon Christenson
Women's Golf (2)
Anna Laorr
Emie Peronnin
Men's Gymnastics (2)
Jack Metcalf
Spencer Smith
Women's Gymnastics (2)
Madeline Hanley
Lindsay Mable
Men's Hockey (2)
Kyle Rau
Jake Bischoff
Women's Hockey (4)
Kelsey Cline
Rachel Ramsey
Kate Schipper
Lee Stecklein
Rowing (5)
Kylie Anderson
Jessica Flakne
Lauren Gonsalves
Kersten Schwanz
Lisa Weeks
Soccer (7)
Rashida Beal
Jennifer Larrick
Rachel McCloskey
Allison Reinke
Olivia Schultz
Taylor Stainbrook
Kathleen Thyken
Softball (2)
Hannah Granger
Erica Meyer
Men's Swimming & Diving (8)
Ian Gordon
Chris Johnson
Jakub Maly
Ryan Miksch
Corey Mills
Carl Newenhouse
CJ Smith
Jack Tribble
Women's Swimming & Diving (6)
Katy Etterman
Kiera Janzen
Jessica Plant
Abigail Raatz
Tori Simenec
Rebecca Weiland
Men's Tennis (2)
Matheiu Froment
Eric Frueh
Women's Tennis (2)
Tereza Brichacova
Paula Rincon-Otero
Men's Track & Field (3)
Mark Jennings
Ryan Lockard
Adam Zutz
Women's Track & Field (8)
Alex Beckman
Amanda Beckman
Jess Herauf
Marnie Kinnaird
Rachel Melum
Katie Murgic
Chelsea Pettit
Lyndsey Thorpe
Wrestling (4)
Michael Kroells
Brett Pfarr
Chris Pfarr
Conrad Rangell
Players Mentioned
