Distinguished Scholar Athletes Highlight Great Academic Semester
12/20/2019 2:52:00 PM | General
Cleveland, Ohio – Seven Golden Flashes earned the Mid-American Conference Distinguished Scholar Athletes honor from the seven fall sports during
this 2019-20 academic season, highlighting a terrific academic semester for Kent State Athletics.
Following each season from the fall sports schedule, any student with a 3.20 GPA and participation in at least 50 percent of the contests was automatically
named to the previously announced Academic All-MAC Team from each sport. Also, first-year students, junior college transfers and graduate transfers in
their first year of residence were not eligible for the award.
New for this season, the selection for the Distinguished Scholar Athlete included all student-athletes that were recognized as All-MAC selections and
Academic All-MAC selections from their respective sport, along with maintaining a 3.50 GPA and above.
The MAC Distinguished Scholar Athletes puts an exclamation point on a fantastic academic semester for Kent State Athletics.
The department set a new record with a cumulative GPA of 3.214, making it the 16th consecutive term of a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
The fall term GPA of 3.203 is the second-highest all time.
On a team level, 14 teams had both a term and cumulative GPA top 3.0, nine bested a 3.40 and six topped 3.60. For the individual student-athletes, 49 posted a 4.0 GPA while 48 percent of student-athletes topped a 3.40 and 66 percent had a 3.0 or above. The full list of the MAC's Distinguished Scholar Athletes can be seen below.
2019 MAC Men's Cross Country Distinguished Scholar Athletes (5):
Nick Stricklen, Akron, Senior, 3.941 GPA, Exercise Science (Lexington, Ohio)
Owen Day, Eastern Michigan, Junior, 3.61 GPA, Simulation Animation & Gaming (Ottawa, Ontario)
Anthony Camerieri, Miami, Sophomore, 3.68 GPA, Finance and Kinesiology (Brecksville, Ohio)
*#David Coffey, Miami, Senior, 3.64 GPA, Kinesiology (Carmel, Ind.)
*Josh Park, Ohio, Junior, 3.589 GPA, Exercise Physiology (Amherst, Ohio)
2019 MAC Women's Cross Country Distinguished Scholar-Athletes (8):
*Mackenzie Andrews, Akron, Senior, 4.00 (Grad) Physical Ed-Adult Fitness (Toowoomba, Australia)
Haley Hess, Akron, Senior, 3.640 GPA, Exercise Science (Curtice, Ohio)
Lindsey Scarton, Akron, Junior, 3.873 GPA, Physical Therapy (Berea, Ohio)
*#^Natalie Cizmas, Eastern Michigan, Graduate, 3.88 GPA, Sport Management (Clinton Twp., Mich.)
Emily Smith, Eastern Michigan, Senior, 3.90 GPA, Business Administration (Lake District, England)
Ericka Hibser, NIU, Senior, 3.931 GPA, Biological Sciences (Lewistown, Ill.)
*Ashley Tutt, NIU, Junior, 3.751 GPA, History (Channahon, Ill.)
Petronela Simiuc, Toledo, Senior, 3.734 GPA, Health Promotion and Education (Bacau, Romania)
2019 MAC Women's Field Hockey Distinguished Scholar Athletes (13):
Friederike Stegen, Appalachian State, Sophomore, 3.87 GPA, Undecided (Laatzen, Germany)
*Annette Jarosz, Appalachian State, Junior, 3.84 GPA, Biology, (Elkridge, Md.)
*Veerle Van Heertum, Appalachian St., Junior, 3.65 GPA, Graphic Design (Valkenswaard, Netherlands)
Sierra Jefferson, Ball State, Junior, 3.80 GPA, Accounting (Bethlehem, Pa.)
Clara Rodriguez Seto, Kent State, Junior, 3.67 GPA, Psychology (Barcelona, Spain)
Laila Richter, Kent State, Senior, 3.75 GPA, Business (Berlin, Germany)
Luisa Knapp, Kent State, Sophomore, 3.75 GPA, Undecided (Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany)
Luna Lopez, Longwood, Sophomore, 3.54 GPA, Business Admin. (San Rafael, Mendoza, Argentina)
Karly Harwood, Longwood, Junior, 3.98 GPA, Liberal Studies (Gloucester, Va.)
Allie Grace Joyner, Miami, Junior, 3.66 GPA, Marketing (Louisville, Ky.)
Kendall Ballard, Ohio, Senior, 3.53 GPA, Athletic Training (Charlottesville, Va.)
Leah Warren, Ohio, Junior, 3.69 GPA, Political Science (Hamilton, New Zealand)
Jillian Shive, Ohio, Junior, 3.89 GPA, Undecided (Lebanon, Ohio)
2019 MAC Men's Soccer Distinguished Scholar Athletes (6):
Carlo Ritaccio, Akron, Sophomore, 3.575 GPA, Business Administration (Westbury, N.Y.)
*Daniel Strachan, Akron, Junior, 3.541 GPA, Integrated Marketing Communications (Lakewood, Ohio)
*Chris Sullivan, Bowling Green, Junior, 3.952 GPA, Finance (Naperville, Ill)
*Jan Maertins, Northern Illinois, Senior, 3.984 GPA, Business Admin. (Rheinfelden, Germany)
*#Sebastian Garcia-Herreros, West Virginia, Senior, 3.60 PGA, Civil Engineering (Southwest Ranches, Fla.)
*#Anthony Bowie, Western Michigan, Senior, 4.00 GPA, Sales & Business Marketing (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
2019 MAC Women's Soccer Distinguished Scholar Athletes (12):
Ashley Amato, Akron, Senior, 3.52 GPA, Nursing (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Tristin Stuteville, Ball State, Grad, 3.89 GPA, Marketing (Kansas City, Mo.)
Sam Kambol, Ball State, Senior, 3.79 GPA, Social Work (South Bend, Ind.)
Emily Simmons, Ball State, Junior, 3.96 GPA, Business Administration (New Hamburg, Ontario)
*Kathleen Duwve, Bowling Green, Senior, 3.86 GPA, Biology (Sylvania, Ohio)
*Maureen Kennedy, Bowling Green, Senior, 3.95 GPA, Psychology (Cypress, Calif.)
*Chelsee Washington, Bowling Green, Senior, 3.62 GPA, Criminal Justice (Carrollton, Texas)
*Vital Kats, Kent State, Junior, 3.88 GPA, Business Management (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
Abby Townsend, Ohio, Sophomore, 3.69 GPA, Finance (Powell, Ohio)
Alivia Milesky, Ohio, Senior, 3.68 GPA, Mild-Moderate Educational Needs (Plain City, Ohio)
Bailey Korhorn, Western Michigan, Junior, 3.93 GPA, Sports Management (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
Morgan Otteson, Western Michigan, Sophomore, 3.65 GPA, Business Mgmt. (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
2019 MAC Volleyball Distinguished Scholar-Athletes (8):
Alexis Adleta, Akron, Junior, 3.814 GPA, Political Science (West Chester, Ohio)
Emily Weigand, Akron, Junior, 3.658 GPA, Accounting (Burton, Ohio)
*#Amber Seaman, Ball State, Senior, 3.918 GPA, Psychological Science (Carmel, Ind.)
Katelyn Meyer, Bowling Green, Sophomore, 3.692 GPA, Pre-Visual Communication (Pemberville, Ohio)
Alex Haffner, Kent State, Sophomore, 3.757 GPA, Finance (Lee's Summit, Mo.)
Gaby Harper, Miami, Sophomore, 3.56 GPA, Early Childhood Education (Caledonia, Mich.)
Margaret Payne, Miami, Senior, 3.58 GPA, Marketing (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.)
*Rachel Bontrager, Western Michigan, Junior, 3.74 GPA, Elementary Professional Ed. (Valparaiso, Ind.)
2019 MAC Football Distinguished Scholar Athletes (17):
John Lako, Akron, Senior, 3.700 GPA, M.B.A in Finance (Monroe, Mich.)
Curtis Blackwell, Ball State, Junior, 3.731 GPA, Business Administration (Uniondale, Ind.)
*Riley Miller, Ball State, Senior, 3.648 GPA, Exercise Science (Yorktown, Ind.)
Danny Pinter, Ball State, Senior, 3.75 GPA, MBA – Business Administration (South Bend, Ind.)
Jacob White, Ball State, Senior, 3.571 GPA, MBA – Business Administration (Clarendon Hills, Ind.)
Robi Stuart, Central Michigan, Junior, 3.88 GPA, Neuroscience (Saginaw, Mich.)
Dylan Drummond, Eastern Michigan, Sophomore, 3.81 GPA, Finance (Cleveland, Ohio)
*#Brody Hoying, Eastern Michigan, Senior, 3.63 GPA, Finance – Masters (Coldwater, Ohio)
Derek Adams, Kent State, Junior, 3.875 GPA, Entrepreneurship (Manheim, Pa.)
Matthew Trickett, Kent State, Sophomore, 3.914 GPA, Accounting (Cleveland, Ohio)
Kameron Butler, Miami, Sophomore, 3.55 GPA, Sport Leadership and Management (Florence, Ky.)
Mitchell Brinkman, Northern Illinois, Junior, 3.814 GPA, Leadership & Management (Council Bluffs, Iowa)
Jordan Steckler, Northern Illinois, Senior, 3.615 GPA, Leadership and Management (Two Rivers, Wis.)
*Nathan Rourke, Ohio, Senior, 3.728 GPA, Physical Activity & Sport Coaching (Oakville, Ontario, Canada)
*#Mike Caliendo, Western Michigan, Junior, 3.89 GPA, Biomedical Sciences (Brookfield, Wis.)
*#Luke Juriga, Western Michigan, Senior, 3.64 GPA, Manufacturing Engineering Technology (Aurora, Ill.)
*#Jon Wassink, Western Michigan, Senior, 3.96 GPA, Accountancy Grad Student (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
*2018 Distinguished Scholar-Athlete
#2017 Distinguished Scholar-Athlete
^2016 Distinguished Scholar-Athlete
