Oklahoma State University Athletics
OSU Celebrates Student-Athlete Academic Success
April 15, 2019 | General
STILLWATER– The Oklahoma State athletic department celebrated its student-athletes at its annual Academic Awards Banquet Monday night. The banquet recognized academic performance during the 2018 calendar year.
The winners of the night's biggest awards were were Cole Verble from the men's track and field team and Sofia Blanco from the women's tennis squad, as they were recognized as the male and female scholar-athletes of the year, respectively.
The Director's Chair winner for each sport was unveiled as well. A committee selects the senior student-athletes who have successfully maintained a balance in academics while making a difference in their sports. The award is presented to those who exemplify what a student athlete should be. This year's winners were as follows – Sofia Blanco (women's tennis), Jonce Blaylock (wrestling), Hugh Burrow (spirit squad), Chih-Min Chen (women's golf), Artur Dubinski (men's tennis), Tyler Ferguson (football), Emily Fry (spirit squad), Paige Kemper (equestrian), Joe Lienhard (baseball), Jenny Martinez (women's track and field/cross country), Madi Sue Montgomery (softball), Megan Royall (soccer), Cole Verble (men's track and field), Karli Wheeler (women's basketball) and Hayden Wood (men's golf)
Also presented Monday night was the Nate Fleming Academic Effort and Improvement Award, which was earned by baseball's Brett Standlee on the men's side and track and field's Nicolette Dixon on the women's side.
In addition to the awards presented at the banquet, there were several academic highlights from the 2018 calendar year that were celebrated. A look:
Seniors of Significance
Three students affiliated with OSU Athletics were recognized by the OSU Alumni Association as Seniors of Significance for the past year. Emily Fry was one of 15 OSU students named an Outstanding Senior:
Emily Fry (pom)
Anna Hurlbut (women's track/cross country)
Cole Verble (men's track & field)
Graduating with Honors
Nineteen Cowboys and Cowgirls graduated with Honors during the 2018 calendar year, including seven who were recognized as graduating Summa Cum Laude (3.9-4.0 GPA). Three graduated Magna Cum Laude (3.80-3.89 GPA), while nine more graduated Cum Laude (3.70-3.79 GPA).
Gerald Lage Award
Thirteen Oklahoma State senior student-athletes recently were awarded the prestigious Gerald Lage Award by the Big 12 Conference office. This award recognizes student-athletes who have earned 100 hours or more with a minimum 3.80 cumulative grade point average. Those Cowboys and Cowgirls who earned the award this year are:
Sofia Blanco, Women's Tennis
Chih-Min Chen, Women's Golf
Megan Donald, Equestrian
Molly Dunn, Equestrian
Tanner Green, Men's Track & Field
Stephanie Helsen, Equestrian
Chelsea Jarvis, Women's Track & Field
Paige Kemper, Equestrian
Julia Lenhardt, Soccer
Sarah Miller, Equestrian
Trey Reeves, Men's Basketball
Jacob Ruder, Baseball
Laurene Tresfield, Soccer
Big 12 Scholar-Athletes of the Year
The Big 12 Conference established its Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award in 2012-13. A Scholar-Athlete of the Year is named in each of the Conference's sponsored sports. Each Big 12 institution nominates one individual per sport with the winners selected by a vote of the league's head coaches for that sport. Oklahoma State has had 15 student-athletes receive the award. The winner's from this past calendar year were:
Spring 2018 - Vanessa Shippy (softball) – two-time honoree
Fall 2018 - Luis Martinez (men's cross country) – three-time honoree
Fall 2018 - Justice Hill (football)
CoSIDA Academic All-Americans
Oklahoma State had seven student-athletes named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America teams during the 2018 calendar year, bringing the school total to 81. The following were named in 2018:
Britton Abbott (football) – first team
Ariane Ballner(women's track/cross country) – second team
Stephanie Ferrante (women's track/cross country) – first team
Noah Gade (men's track/cross country) – first team
Emily Hart (women's track/cross country) – first team
Justice Hill (football) – second team
Vanessa Shippy (softball) – first team
Academic Momentum Award
The Scholar Baller® Academic Momentum Award™for improved academic performance has been awarded to:
LaTashia Jones (women's basketball)
Sukhi Khosla (men's track/cross country)
Coaches Associations Team Academic Awards
Women's Tennis – third consecutive
Men's Tennis – fifth consecutive
Men's Cross Country – eighth consecutive
Men's Track & Field – 14thconsecutive
Women's Track & Field – 17thconsecutive
Women's Cross Country – 17thconsecutive
Soccer – 17thconsecutive
Eighty-two student-athletes were named to their respective Coaches Association All-Scholar lists.
During the 2018 calendar year (spring and fall semesters), Oklahoma State had 190 student-athletes named to the Academic All-Big 12 squads, including 145 named to the first team with a 3.2 or better grade point average. Twenty-seven of those were recognized with a perfect 4.0 GPA.
Seventy-eight student-athletes were listed on the President's Honor Roll during the Spring semester of 2018, while 84 were honored during the Fall of 2018. Members of the President's Honor Roll achieved a perfect 4.0 GPA during that semester.
Seventy-four student-athletes were listed on the Dean's Honor Roll during the Spring semester of 2018, while 97 were honored during the Fall of 2018. Members of the Dean's Honor Roll achieved a 3.5 or better GPA during that semester.
Oklahoma State had 283 student-athletes named on the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll (3.0 or better GPA) for the Spring of 2018 and 284 listed for the Fall of 2018.
OSU Athletics will continue in its spirit of celebration next week when it hosts the first Cowboy Choice Awards at 7:30 p.m. in Gallagher-Iba Arena.
The winners of the night's biggest awards were were Cole Verble from the men's track and field team and Sofia Blanco from the women's tennis squad, as they were recognized as the male and female scholar-athletes of the year, respectively.
The Director's Chair winner for each sport was unveiled as well. A committee selects the senior student-athletes who have successfully maintained a balance in academics while making a difference in their sports. The award is presented to those who exemplify what a student athlete should be. This year's winners were as follows – Sofia Blanco (women's tennis), Jonce Blaylock (wrestling), Hugh Burrow (spirit squad), Chih-Min Chen (women's golf), Artur Dubinski (men's tennis), Tyler Ferguson (football), Emily Fry (spirit squad), Paige Kemper (equestrian), Joe Lienhard (baseball), Jenny Martinez (women's track and field/cross country), Madi Sue Montgomery (softball), Megan Royall (soccer), Cole Verble (men's track and field), Karli Wheeler (women's basketball) and Hayden Wood (men's golf)
Also presented Monday night was the Nate Fleming Academic Effort and Improvement Award, which was earned by baseball's Brett Standlee on the men's side and track and field's Nicolette Dixon on the women's side.
In addition to the awards presented at the banquet, there were several academic highlights from the 2018 calendar year that were celebrated. A look:
Seniors of Significance
Three students affiliated with OSU Athletics were recognized by the OSU Alumni Association as Seniors of Significance for the past year. Emily Fry was one of 15 OSU students named an Outstanding Senior:
Emily Fry (pom)
Anna Hurlbut (women's track/cross country)
Cole Verble (men's track & field)
Graduating with Honors
Nineteen Cowboys and Cowgirls graduated with Honors during the 2018 calendar year, including seven who were recognized as graduating Summa Cum Laude (3.9-4.0 GPA). Three graduated Magna Cum Laude (3.80-3.89 GPA), while nine more graduated Cum Laude (3.70-3.79 GPA).
Gerald Lage Award
Thirteen Oklahoma State senior student-athletes recently were awarded the prestigious Gerald Lage Award by the Big 12 Conference office. This award recognizes student-athletes who have earned 100 hours or more with a minimum 3.80 cumulative grade point average. Those Cowboys and Cowgirls who earned the award this year are:
Sofia Blanco, Women's Tennis
Chih-Min Chen, Women's Golf
Megan Donald, Equestrian
Molly Dunn, Equestrian
Tanner Green, Men's Track & Field
Stephanie Helsen, Equestrian
Chelsea Jarvis, Women's Track & Field
Paige Kemper, Equestrian
Julia Lenhardt, Soccer
Sarah Miller, Equestrian
Trey Reeves, Men's Basketball
Jacob Ruder, Baseball
Laurene Tresfield, Soccer
Big 12 Scholar-Athletes of the Year
The Big 12 Conference established its Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award in 2012-13. A Scholar-Athlete of the Year is named in each of the Conference's sponsored sports. Each Big 12 institution nominates one individual per sport with the winners selected by a vote of the league's head coaches for that sport. Oklahoma State has had 15 student-athletes receive the award. The winner's from this past calendar year were:
Spring 2018 - Vanessa Shippy (softball) – two-time honoree
Fall 2018 - Luis Martinez (men's cross country) – three-time honoree
Fall 2018 - Justice Hill (football)
CoSIDA Academic All-Americans
Oklahoma State had seven student-athletes named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America teams during the 2018 calendar year, bringing the school total to 81. The following were named in 2018:
Britton Abbott (football) – first team
Ariane Ballner(women's track/cross country) – second team
Stephanie Ferrante (women's track/cross country) – first team
Noah Gade (men's track/cross country) – first team
Emily Hart (women's track/cross country) – first team
Justice Hill (football) – second team
Vanessa Shippy (softball) – first team
Academic Momentum Award
The Scholar Baller® Academic Momentum Award™for improved academic performance has been awarded to:
LaTashia Jones (women's basketball)
Sukhi Khosla (men's track/cross country)
Coaches Associations Team Academic Awards
Women's Tennis – third consecutive
Men's Tennis – fifth consecutive
Men's Cross Country – eighth consecutive
Men's Track & Field – 14thconsecutive
Women's Track & Field – 17thconsecutive
Women's Cross Country – 17thconsecutive
Soccer – 17thconsecutive
Eighty-two student-athletes were named to their respective Coaches Association All-Scholar lists.
During the 2018 calendar year (spring and fall semesters), Oklahoma State had 190 student-athletes named to the Academic All-Big 12 squads, including 145 named to the first team with a 3.2 or better grade point average. Twenty-seven of those were recognized with a perfect 4.0 GPA.
Seventy-eight student-athletes were listed on the President's Honor Roll during the Spring semester of 2018, while 84 were honored during the Fall of 2018. Members of the President's Honor Roll achieved a perfect 4.0 GPA during that semester.
Seventy-four student-athletes were listed on the Dean's Honor Roll during the Spring semester of 2018, while 97 were honored during the Fall of 2018. Members of the Dean's Honor Roll achieved a 3.5 or better GPA during that semester.
Oklahoma State had 283 student-athletes named on the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll (3.0 or better GPA) for the Spring of 2018 and 284 listed for the Fall of 2018.
OSU Athletics will continue in its spirit of celebration next week when it hosts the first Cowboy Choice Awards at 7:30 p.m. in Gallagher-Iba Arena.
Friday, June 05
Friday, May 29
Wednesday, May 27
Monday, May 18
