Utah State University Recognizes 155 Student-Athletes for Producing 3.2 Grade Point Averages

April 27, 2005

 

LOGAN, Utah — For the third straight year at least 155 Utah State student-athletes were recognized by the school at its annual Joe E. Whitesides Scholar-Athlete luncheon for recording cumulative grade point averages of 3.2 or producing two consecutive semesters of 3.2 or better.

 

Among those were tennis player Carolyn Stephens and track and field athlete Crystal Thisselle, who were recognized as the Joe E. Whitesides Award recipients.

 

It marked just the second time in the 50-year history of the event, that the top honor was shared. In 1994 Haley Houtchens-Lindhardt and Lori Loudner, both from the gymnastics team, were both selected for their outstanding academic work.

 

Nine of the past 10 recipients of the top individual honor have been women, as the only male in that time was Mike Puzey from men's basketball in 2003.

 

Stephens, a senior from Logan, Utah, has posted a 3.95 grade-point average while majoring in nutrition science and pre-med. On the court she posted a 12-12 record while competing at number three singles. This week she was tabbed an honorable mention all-Big West selection in doubles.

 

"This is such an honor," she said of the Whitesides award. "I have always kept trying to do my best. I don't like to settle for anything less."

 

Thisselle, who earned a 3.93 GPA in a dual major of science and economics while also working on a minor in international business, has been a solid high jumper on the Aggie track team. In USU's home meet this year, she set a personal record in her event.

 

"It feels awesome (to win the award)," she said. "I have been one of those type of people who has been very anal about my grades. I worked really hard in high school and it has always been important to me. My parents always wanted me to do my best and they always supported me."

 

In all, USU student-athletes have produced a combined 3.033 grade point average. In the last three years, USU has recognized 157 athletes in 2003, 156 in 2004 and 155 this year.

 

Team honors handed out at the luncheon, including women's track and field earning the best grade point average for teams of 20 or more athletes, while gymnastics claimed the honor for teams with less than 20.

 

The most improved award went to all of the men's teams, while soccer claimed the Aggie Perpetual Achievement Award for most consistent solid grade point average over the last few years.

 

The athletics department also honored Jana Carling, the prevention specialist in student health and wellness, for her efforts with training in the Student-Athletes as Mentors program. Carling earned the Meet The Challenge Award.

 

Track athlete Mark Burton was presented the Aggie Achievement Award for overcoming a number of injuries and having success both athletically and academically.

 

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

 

 

 

James Edwards, Men 's Basketball, Nutrition & Food Science; Alana Geisler, Women's Track & Field, Nutrition & Food Science; Nick George, Football, Horticulture; Audrey Golightly, Women's Track & Field, Horticulture; Liesel Kohler, Gymnastics, Animal Science; Carolyn Stephens,            Women's Tennis,          Nutrition & Food Science.

 

 

Melissa Baggaley, Soccer, Accounting; Calvin Brown, Men's Basketball, Human  Resource Management; Jill Bruins, Softball, Marketing; Zuzana Cernianska, Volleyball, Business; Malik Cin, Football, Marketing; Ryan Devlin, Football, Business; Scott Faldmo, Men's Track & Field, Finance; Nathan Fredrick, Football, Accounting; Erin Graybill, Volleyball, Accounting; Michelle Haws, Soccer, Accounting; Joshua Hoehne, Football, Business Information Systems; Chris Huber, Men's Basketball, Management; Zack King, Manager, Finance; Rachel Mandy, Gymnastics, Human Resource Management; Elizabeth Masson, Soccer, Finance; Megan Mills, Soccer, Business Administration; Ben Morrill, Manager, Finance; Trent Nate, Football, Marketing; Michael Nielson, Men's Track & Field, Finance; Spencer Perkinson, Football, Finance; Hannes Schenk, Men's Tennis, Finance; Kerry Shepherd, Football, Management; Jason Stephens, Football, Marketing; Crystal Thisselle, Women's Track & Field, Finance; Jason Thomas, Football, Human Resource Management; Anne-Marie Torp, Women's  Basketball, Marketing; Jason Walker, Football, Finance; Terrance Washington, Football, Finance; Marcus Winn, Manager, Business Administration; Matt Wiser, Football, Economics.

 

 

Sam Allred, Manager, Geography Teaching; David Danley, Men's Track & Field, Fisheries & Wildlife.

 

 

Alison Aird, Women's Basketball, Physical Education; Carolyn Andrus, Women's Track & Field, Elementary Education; Andre Bala, Football, Psychology; Andrea Barker, Women's Tennis, Physical Education; Dayna Barrett, Women's Track & Field, Physical Education; Michelle Bowen, Women's Track & Field, Physical Education; Tanner Cooley, Football, Physical Education, Travis Cox, Football, Physical Education; Matthew Crivello, Football, Physical Education; Amy Davis, Women's Track & Field, Physical Education; Jessica Garnett, Softball, Physical Education; Kaylene Gastaldi, Women's Track & Field, Special Education & Elementary Ed.; Megan Goodrich, Soccer, Pre-Elementary Education; Lacy Gustaveson, Soccer, Physical Education; Brittany Hagen, Women's Basketball, Physical Education; Andra Hansen, Soccer, Pre-Early Childhood Education; Charlsie Harris, Soccer, Physical Education; Tracee Higham, Women's Basketball, Family Consumer/Human Development; Emily Hillam, Women's  Track & Field, Physical Education; Elizabeth Hodge, Volleyball, Psychology; Reese Hulbert, Men's Track & Field, Physical Education; Ian Jenkins, Men's Track & Field, Physical Education; Jacob Jensen, Men's Track & Field, Physical Education; Ashley Johnson, Women's Track & Field, Physical Education; Tiffany Jones, Soccer, Elementary Education; Amber Judd, Women's Track & Field, Family Consumer/Human Development; Christian Lee, Men's Track & Field, Physical Education; Quela Leonhardt, Softball, Physical Education; Kelly Leos, Softball, Communicative Disorder & Deaf Ed.; Sarah Luman, Soccer, Physical Education; Erin Manning, Women's Tennis, Health Education Specialist; Alex Martin, Gymnastics, Physical Education; Jenna McCartney, Softball, Physical Education; Kenneth Murdock, Men's Track & Field, Psychology; Meagan Nelson, Gymnastics, Elementary Education; Jessica Parenti, Gymnastics, Physical Education; Kelly Poppinga, Football, Physical Education; Roshan Rasekhi, Men's Tennis, Physical Education; Lida Ripplinger, Women's Track & Field, Physical Education; Roxanne Ritchie, Softball, Physical Education; Rachel Ropelato, Gymnastics, Physical Education; Shannon Ross, Soccer, Physical Education; Claire Schend, Soccer, Physical Education; Katrina Smart, Women's Track & Field, Elementary Education; Sierra Smith, Soccer, Physical Education; Eric Sobolewski, Football, Physical Education; Natalie Sozio, Soccer, Physical Education; Jill Steele, Women's Track & Field, Physical Education; Tiffany Strickland, Women's Track & Field, Elementary Education; Samantha Stuart, Women's Basketball, Physical Education; Kathryn Thatcher, Women's Track & Field, Physical Education; Cachet Webb, Women's Track & Field, Physical Education; Charity Weston, Soccer, Physical Education; Ashley Wilson, Soccer, Communicative Disorders & Deaf Ed.

 

 

Kelli Allred, Soccer, Undeclared; Josh Anderson, Football, Law & Constitutional Studies; Brian Ballam, Men's Tennis, Undeclared; Ashley Barr, Gymnastics, Political Science; Caroline Berry, Women's Track & Field, Undeclared; Chanel Blaquiere, Soccer, Social Work; Garett Brownlee, Women's Track & Field, Undeclared; Ben Calderwood, Football, Undeclared; Christopher Curtis, Football, Undeclared; Sarah Dimmick, Women's Track & Field, English; Amy Egan, Women's Track & Field, English; Matthew Formisano, Men's Basketball, Undeclared; Jessica Freeman, Women's Basketball, Art; Jaymie Goodsell, Gymnastics, Undeclared; Jennifer Gross, Women's Basketball, Undeclared; Jeanine Hernandez, Softball, Undeclared; Katie Keller, Soccer, Undeclared; Lindsay Lauro, Soccer, Undeclared; Stacie Lifferth, Women's Track & Field, Undeclared; Nathan Lloyd, Men's Track & Field, Undeclared; Jessica Malaska, Soccer, Sociology; Lauren Monson, Women's Tennis, Undeclared; John Neil, Men's Basketball, Spanish; Katherine Omann, Gymnastics, Undeclared; Bryan Perkinson, Football, English; Ana Rickard, Gymnastics, Undeclared; Preston Robinson, Football; Undeclared; Isaac Rush, Men's Track & Field, Spanish; Kathryn Rutherford, Gymnastics, Anthropology; Corrine Smith, Women's Track & Field, Undeclared; Savannah Spackman, Women's Track & Field, History Teaching; Kevin Stanworth, Men's Tennis, Undeclared; Jacob Stewart, Football, Liberal Arts & Sciences; Steven Strickland, Men's Track & Field, Undeclared; Lisa Willardson, Soccer, Undeclared; Alison Williams, Women's Track & Field, Undeclared; Tyler Williams, Men's Basketball, Interdisciplinary Studies; Natalie Wisan, Soccer, Undeclared.

 

 

Dominique Arsenault, Volleyball, Mathematics; Kathryn Duhadway, Women's Track & Field, Biology/Computer Science; Yance Fawcett, Men's Track & Field, Mathematics Education; Bradley Ferguson, Men's Tennis, Mathematics/Statistics; Tim Jessop, Football, Public Health; Jared Johnstun, Football, Biology; Braddock Martin, Men's Track & Field, Biology; Kelly Patterson, Gymnastics, Biology; Ryan Taylor, Football, Public Health; Christina Zdenek, Women's Basketball, Biology.

 

 

Erik Borschel, Men's Track & Field, Pre-Civil Engineering; Lukas Bouton, Men's Tennis, Aviation Tech, Pilot.

 

 

Clark Bryner, Men's Track & Field; Bio-Regional Planning; Mark Burton, Men's Track & Field, BUS/Business Administration; Roger Davies, Trainer, ED/Health, Physical Ed & Rec; Dustin Enslinger, Trainer, ED/Health, Physical Ed & Rec; Kristen Guymon, Women's Track & Field, ED/Health, Physical Ed & Rec; Katie Miller, Manager, ED/Health, Physical Ed & Rec; Spencer Nelson, Men's Basketball, BUS/Business Administration; Ned Rogers, Manager, EN/Industrial Technology; Nate Slaughter, Trainer, ED/Health, Physical Ed & Rec; Dustin Williams, Trainer, ED/Health, Physical Ed & Rec; Josh Yonker, Trainer, ED/Health, Physical Ed & Rec; Mitch Zundel, Manager, BUS/Business Administration.