OSU student athletes honored at annual awards banquet

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Oklahoma State student-athletes were recognized for their outstanding achievements in the classroom this year at the 18th Annual Student-Athlete Academic Awards Banquet, held Monday night at the Wes Watkins Center on the OSU campus.

Quarterback Brandon Weeden and softball player Mariah Gearhart headlined the evening as they were honored the Oklahoma State male and female Student-Athletes of the Year.

Other headlining award recipients included Markelle Martin and Adrianna Franch as Nate Fleming Award winners, given to student-athletes who overcome struggles to excel on the field and in the classroom, as well as Brandi Andrews, Erin Prutow and Elizabeth Delozier as Big 12 “Chick-fil-A” Award winners, given for community service, GPA and sportsmanship.

About 250 student-athletes were honored at the event, including nearly 70 graduating seniors, 20 athletes with cumulative 4.0 GPA’s and 18 Academic All-Americans.

Team honors included the USTCCCA All-Academic awards for men’s track and field, women’s track and field and women’s cross country, as well as the NSCAA Collegiate Team Academic Award for women’s soccer.

The Senior Director’s Chair, made up of one student from each team in his or her last year of athletic eligibility who has the highest cumulative graduation retention GPA of the team and is closest to graduation was made up of Brad Propst (baseball), Nick Sidorakis (men’s basketball), Shane Jarka (football), Mark Johnson (men’s golf), Mark Nelson (men’s track and field and cross country), Neil Erisman (wrestling), Lakyn Garrison (women’s basketball), Erin Prutow (equestrian), Whitney Wernimont (soccer), Mariah Gearhart (softball), Sarah Mehghoufel (women’s tennis) and Brandi Andrews (women’s track and field and cross country).

To qualify for the banquet, student athletes were required to meet one of the following criteria: earn a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher; earn a GPA of 3.0 or higher for the spring and fall or spring, fall and summer combined; earn a GPA of 3.0 or higher for the fall for first-year or transfer students; be nominated upon recommendation of Academic Services for Student-Athletes. Student-athletes completing a fifth year of eligibility and all graduating seniors are also eligible to attend the banquet.