Utah State Recognizes 152 Student-Athletes at Annual Whitesides Luncheon

Utah State University’s athletics department recognized 152 student-athletes and 14 managers and student trainers for achieving a 3.2 grade point average at the 15th annual Joe E. and Elma Whitesides Scholar-Athlete Luncheon Thursday [April 24].  To be eligible for the honor, student-athletes must have a cumulative 3.2 grade point average or have posted a 3.2 GPA during the last two semesters.

In all, approximately 47 percent of USU’s student-athletes earned a 3.2 GPA to qualify for the awards.

 

The top honoree during the luncheon was soccer player Shannon Ross who was recognized as the Joe E. Whitesides Award recipient. The senior from Fort Worth, Texas (Fossil Ridge HS), posted a 3.90 grade-point average while majoring in exercise science.

 

As a three-year letterwinner on Utah State’s soccer team, Ross appeared in 55 matches and earned academic all-Western Athletic Conference honors three times. During her senior season she helped Utah State to a 10-11-0 overall record, including a 5-2-0 mark in the WAC.

 

“This award means a lot because it shows that we are all well-rounded as athletes and we can do things outside the playing field,” said Ross. “My number one goal has always been academics, I want to make something of my life and I’ve always wanted to give back.”

 

Ross, who will graduate with her bachelor’s degree this spring, plans on beginning her graduate degree work this fall at either the University of Utah, Duke or Wake Forest, in an effort to become a physician’s assistant.

 

Thirteen of the past 14 recipients of the top individual honor have been women as the only male in that time to win the award was Mike Puzey from men’s basketball in 2003.

 

Utah State also handed out team honors as the women’s tennis team was named the top academic team with less than 20 members, while the women’s track team was the top academic team with more than 20 members. Women’s tennis also received the most improved academic team award.

 

Melanie Leishman from the register’s office was presented the Meet The Challenge Award for her contributions to academics and athletics, and Bryan Stephenson was given the Outstanding Tutor Award for his work with USU’s student-athletes.

 

The Whitesides honors started in 1953 by former USU athlete, coach and athletics director Joe E. Whitesides.

 

2008 UTAH STATE WHITESIDES SPECIAL HONORS
Whitesides Winner – Shannon Ross, Women’s Soccer
Meet The Challenge – Melanie Leishman
Outstanding Tutor – Bryan Stephenson

 

Top Teams (20-plus members)
1. Women’s Track
2. Women’s Soccer
3. Men’s Track

 

Top Teams (less than 20 members)
1. Women’s Tennis
2. Women’s Cross Country
3. Volleyball

 

1. Women’s Tennis
2. Men’s Cross Country
3. Men’s Basketball

 

 

Jon. M. Huntsman School of Business : Ryan Bohn, football; Brandon Broadhead, golf; Chase Griffiths, football; Heather Haak, softball; Heather Heinrich, gymnastics; Tyler Labrum, golf; Jase McCormick, football; LeeAnn Palo, women’s basketball; Sydne Porter, soccer; Taylor Price, men’s track & field; Preston Robinson, football; Danielle Schaap, volleyball; Hailey Swenson, women’s tennis; Matthew Toone, men’s track & field; Thad Truman, golf; and Chris Ulinski, football.

 

College of Science: Rebecca Anderson, volleyball; Jeremy Bearss, football; Cortnie Broadus, women’s track & field; Camryn Froerer, manager; Taylor MacKay, men’s track & field; Cody Mart, football; Kelly Patterson, gymnastics; Nicole Rupp, softball; Jennifer Schiess, women’s track & field; and Alison Taylor, women’s track & field.

 

College of Engineering: Lukas Bouton, men’s tennis; James Drake, men’s track & field; Palmer Hawkins, men’s track & field; and Vance Twitchell, men’s track & field.

 

Emma Eccles Jones College of Education & Human Services: Justine Baugh, women’s track & field; Alan Bishop, football; Trisha Cardon, soccer; Lacey Christenson, soccer; Candice Clark, soccer; Chris Curtis, football; Jessica Darrow-Hammer, soccer; Kira Datwyler, women’s track & field; Tyler Ellis, men’s track & field; Chelsea Falslev, soccer; Nicole Felley, gymnastics; Josh Flores, football; Jared Glenn, men’s track & field; Jennifer Gross, women’s basketball; Nnamdi Gwacham, football; Blake Hadfield, men’s track & field; Andra Hansen, soccer; Vanessa Hawkins, women’s track & field; Lauren Hansen, soccer; Kory Hobbs, football; Abby Hunt, soccer; Jacob Hutton, football; Washington Igboeli, football; Brad Jakel, football; Kimiko Kamo, women’s track & field; April Knighton, women’s track & field; Krista Larson, women’s track & field; Melissa Larson, volleyball; Lindsay Lauro, soccer; Stacie Lifferth, women’s track & field; Marie Livingston, women’s tennis; Devin Markle, gymnastics; Amanda Nielson, volleyball; Jordan McQueen, manager; Shanna Nielsen, men’s track & field; Kiersten Nilsson, soccer;
Nick Oldroyd, trainer; Katherine Omann, gymnastics; Ana Pares, women’s basketball; Dana Peart, soccer; Taylor Richards, women’s basketball; Ana Rickard-Whitfield, gymnastics; Shannon Ross, soccer; Aimee Sauvageau, women’s track & field; Lindsey Shipley, women’s basketball; indsey Smart, soccer; Erin Stratton, women’s track & field; Bridgette Strickland, women’s tennis; Katie Thatcher, women’s track & field; Michelle Theurer, women’s track & field; Reve Tortel, women’s track & field; Kalie Vickers, women’s track & field; Cachet Webb, women’s track & field; Lydia Whitehead, women’s basketball; and Lisa Willardson, soccer.

 

Undeclared: Jakob Asplund, men’s tennis; Katie Astle, volleyball; Blake Bolen, men’s track & field; Lyndsie Boone, gymnastics; Peter Caldwell, football; Ashlee Cannon, women’s track & field; Alice Coddington, women’s basketball; Christa Drury, gymnastics; Jessica Duhadway, women’s track & field; Camille Fehlberg, women’s track & field; Rachel George, volleyball; Nicholas Gittins, manager; Jervon Graves, football; Maria Halton, women’s track & field; Daniel Heath, golf; Charles Hopkins, men’s track & field; Heidi Hopkins, women’s track & field; Erica Huelsmann, gymnastics; Katelyn Jensen, women’s track & field; Jason Jeppsen, men’s track & field; Nicole Johnson, women’s basketball; Camarie Jones, women’s track & field; Derrick Keddington, football; Tylee Landon, softball; Ben Longshore, football; Chelsea Marquardt, gymnastics; Tyler Newbold, men’s basketball; Heather Pond, soccer; Jake Poulson, football; Stefani Shiozaki, soccer; Kandace Shoell, women’s track & field; Brad Theurer, football; Shasta Tyteca, softball; and Mark Watterson, football.

 

College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences: Michael Banks, men’s tennis; Carolyn Bleadorn, manager; Rebecca Bostwick, women’s track & field; Jaycee Carroll, men’s basketball; Benjamin Childs, football; Amy Egan, women’s track & field; Ali Griffin, soccer; Brianna Harris, women’s tennis; Jeanine Hernandez, softball; Heather Hillier, volleyball; Simone Hubbard, softball; Kris Hymas, volleyball; Leon Jackson III, football; Nathan Lloyd, men’s track & field; Alyssa Lowry, soccer; Jake Mabey, men’s track & field; Cameron Madsen, men’s track & field; Frank Maile, football; Brooke McNaughton, women’s track & field; Logan Moore, men’s track & field; Jenna Oldroyd, volleyball; Melissa Osterloh, volleyball; Ted Stokes, football; Steven Strickland, men’s track & field; Megan Tschida, gymnastics; Jonas Tyden, men’s tennis; Britney Watts, women’s tennis; Gary Wilkinson, men’s basketball; Heath Wing, men’s track & field; and Sarah Young, women’s track & field.
 
College of Agriculture: Caroline Berry, women’s track & field; Jennifer Day, women’s track & field; and Jennifer Twitchell, women’s track & field.

 

College of Natural Resources: Kim Quinn, women’s track & field; and Casey Snider, men’s track & field.

 

School of Graduate Studies: Dasheek Akwenye, men’s track & field; Josh Anderson, football; Amber Barlow, trainer; Jimmy Bohm, football; Chad Eichten, trainer; Michael Green, football; Derek Hoke, football; Tomomi Kamijo, trainer; Alexandra Martin, manager; Brandon Payne, trainer; Carla Southwick, trainer; and Michell Vlahos, manager.