SPRINGFIELD -- A group of 40 Missouri State University student-athletes will receive their degrees at three spring commencement ceremonies at JQH Arena on Friday, May 13. Also Friday, former Missouri State football standout David Arkin (Wichita, Kan.) has been named as the winner of the 57th Annual Virgil Cheek Athletic Achievement Award.   

The Virgil Cheek Award has been given annually since 1955 to the graduating senior male student-athlete best demonstrating high qualities in scholarship, character, attendance, leadership and athletic performance. The award is named in honor of the long-time Missouri State faculty athletics representative and business faculty member and selected by the six men's intercollegiate athletics head coaches.  

Including Arkin, who completed his undergraduate degree in December, a total of 73 Missouri State student-athletes have earned their degrees during the 2010-11 academic year.  

Arkin, a 6-foot-5, 302-pound senior was picked in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys and became the 17th Bears' player to be selected in the NFL draft. He was named to The Sports Network, Associated Press, Walter Camp Football Foundation, American Football Coaches Association and Sports Network Division I FCS All-America squads for his outstanding senior performance. He is just the third MSU player to run the gauntlet and claim first-team All-America honors from all major selection agencies.

During the 2010 season, Arkin earned first-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference laurels for the second straight year after grading out at 87 percent for the year with 82 knock-down blocks. He started all 44 games of his college career and is just the third MSU player to earn All-MVFC honors four times, also claiming second-team all-conference honors in 2007 and 2008. He also was named to the CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-America second team and claimed his fourth Academic All-MVFC honor this season.

Arkin was a six-time MVFC Offensive Lineman of the Week and earned the MVC State Farm Good Neighbor Award during the fall semester of 2008. He helped the Bears average 425.5 yards total offense, 214.2 rushing yards and 30.4 points per game this season, all of which ranked in the top 24 nationally at the FCS level. He graduated in December 2010 with a 3.72 GPA in Construction Management.

Other finalists for the Virgil Cheek Award were J.C. Casey (baseball), Matt Cermak (men's golf), Chris Novak (swimming), and Alex Riggs (men's soccer).

Football led all programs with the most undergraduate degrees conferred this spring with seven, while women's swimming and diving was second with five, followed by volleyball (3), men's soccer (3), men's swimming and diving (3), women's basketball (3), softball (3), baseball (2), men's golf (2), field hockey (1), men's basketball (1), women's soccer (1) and women's track (1).

The 2011 spring graduation list includes 12 student-athletes graduating with academic honors.  Katharina Voelkel (women's swimming) and Roxy Stiles (women's basketball) are both receiving summa cum laude honors, while magna cum laude honors were bestowed on five individuals, including Ryan Jehle (men's basketball), Kelly Irwin (field hockey), Lauren McGinley (softball), Anda Udris (track and field), and Cara Hackmann (volleyball). Five additional student-athletes earned cum laude distinction: J.C. Casey (baseball), Chris Novak (men's swimming), Christine Cross (women's soccer), Rene Smith (women's swimming) and Sara Staubach (volleyball).

A year ago, 35 student-athletes earned undergraduate or graduate degrees in the May 2010 ceremonies.  The top graduating classes on record for Missouri State athletics are: May 2006 (64), May 2004 (61), May 2009 (61), May 2005 (59), May 2007 (57), May 2008 (57).

The winners of the Andrew J. McDonald Achievement Award also were selected in advance of Friday's commencement activities.  The health and physical education department faculty annually recognizes the top graduating senior athletics participants majoring in healthy and physical education. The 2011 recipients of the award are Lauren McGinley, an MSU softball player from Oklahoma City, Okla., with a 3.82 GPA, and Brent Chojnacki, a football letterman from Florissant, Mo., who compiled a 3.13 GPA.

The two remaining awards to be selected for the 2010-11 academic year will be named at the conclusion of all Missouri State athletics competition for the year when the Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Senior Female Scholar Athlete Award and the Missouri State Outstanding Female Athlete Award will be presented.

A total of 2,524 degrees were conferred by Missouri State during spring commencement ceremonies on Friday. A total of 1,863 bachelor's degrees, 631 master's degrees, four specialist degrees and 26 doctorate degrees were awarded. Beyond the standard expectations, 159 students were recognized for their work with a more rigorous curriculum in Missouri State's Honors College, including former football letterman Chad Peachey. Scholastic honors were also given to 111 students who graduated summa cum laude (with a grade point average of 3.9-4.0 on a 4.0 scale), 163 were magna cum laude (with a GPA of 3.75-3.89) and 256 were cum laude (with a GPA of 3.5-3.74).

 

Undergraduate Degrees (35)

• Baseball (2): J.C. Casey* (Accounting), Curt Courtwright (Public Relations).
• Men's Basketball (1): Ryan Jehle** (Economics# and Master of Business Administration).
• Football (7): Brent Chojnacki (Physical Education), Mike Daniels (Criminology), Jonathan Davis (Exercise & Movement Science), Justin Fuselier (Psychology), Kolby Hurt (Criminology), Cody Kirby (Exercise & Movement Science), Chad Peachey (Entertainment Management).
• Men's Golf (2): Jack Courington (Administrative Management), Jay McBride (Administrative Management).
• Men's Soccer (3): Jimmy Chamjock (Agricultural Business), Brandon Durk (Hospitality & Restaurant Administration), Paul Paradise (Accounting).
• Men's Swimming & Diving (3): Pat Bergin (Geospatial Sciences), Christopher Novak* (Psychology), Ciro Sauaia (Administrative Management).
• Women's Basketball (3): Melissa Busby (Elementary Education), Kendra Roberts (Organizational Communication), Roxy Stiles *** (Cell & Molecular Biology).
• Field Hockey (1): Kelly Irwin** (Psychololgy).
• Softball (3):  Ashley Knehans (Criminology), Lauren McGinley** (Physical Education), Lauren Supak (Communication Studies).
• Women's Soccer (1): Christine Cross (Social Work).
• Women's Swimming & Diving (5): Kara Fryman% (Communication Studeis), Fran Moody (Dietetics), Andrea Rowe (Sociology, Criminology), Rene Smith* (Psychology), Katharina Voelkel*** (General Mathematics, Biology).
• Women's Track & Field (1): Anda Udris** (Athletic Training).
• Volleyball (3): Bethany Fuller (Geography, Geotourism), Cara Hackmann** (Risk Management & Insurance), Sara Staubach** (Dietetics).

Post-Graduate Degrees (5)

• Baseball (1): Brant Combs (MBA, Business Administration).
• Men's Swimming & Diving (2): Vic Riffel (MS, Sports Management), Josh Udermann (MS, Sports Management).
• Women's Swimming & Diving (1): Stacey MacDonald (MS, Geospatial Science).
• Women's Track & Field (1): Leander Ernest (MS, Sports Management).

Scholastic Honors

# second undergraduate degree earned

% received undergraduate certificate in conflict resolution

* cum laude

** magna cum laude

*** summa cum laude

 

Virgil Cheek Award Recipients
1955    Jerry Anderson, basketball-track
1956    Ron Whitaker, football
1957    George Simpson, track
1958    Max Oldham, basketball
1959    Russ Robinson, basketball
1960    Charlie Finley, football-track
1961    Jerry Stockard, basketball
1962    Carl Wilks, basketball
1963    Edsel Matthews, basketball
1964    Rich Johanningmeier, football
1965    Jerry Boyer, football
1966    Dan Young, football
1967    Bill Douglass, football-track
1968    Dennis Scott, football
1969    Danny Cook, baseball
1970    Bill Lamberson, track
1971    Chuck Williams, basketball
1972    Bob Curl, basketball-track
1973    Eric Thompson, basketball
1974    Randy Magers, basketball-baseball
1975    Bob Grana, football
1976    Kent Stringer, football
1977    John Prasuhn, track-cross country
1978    Terry Kasper, football-baseball
1979    Ron Snider, baseball
1980    Mitch Ware, football
1981    Bobby Biser, golf
1982    Mark Daniels, football
1983    Darrin Newbold, football
1984    Anthony Boggs, basketball
1985    Brian Smith, basketball
1986    Phil Schlegel, basketball
1987    Scott Hickox, basketball
1988    Preston Estes, football
1989    Scott Hartwig, football
1990    Chris Stange, basketball
1991    Jeff Eiserman, golf
1992    Tim McDuffey, football
1993    Chad Lakin, baseball
1994    Jim Prendergast, wrestling
1995    Chad Gardner, cross country-track
1996    Dan Kneeshaw, football-baseball
1997    Brad Barnes, soccer
1998    Neal McNamara, tennis
1999    Derek Jensen, football
2000    Brad St. Louis, football
2001    Matt White, football
2002    Jason Ringena, football
2003    Blake Boldon, cross country-track
2004    Rishi Garbharran, tennis
2005    Brad Durham, football
2006    Nathan Platz, soccer
2007    Mike Radon, football
2008    David Tillman, football
2009    Chris Playter, baseball
2010    Justin Fuehrmeyer, basketball
2011    David Arkin, football

Andrew J. McDonald Achievement Award Recipients
Men
1969    Dennis Darnell, football
1970    Gene Garrison, wrestling
1971    Chuck Williams, basketball
1972    Bob Curl, basketball-trac
1973    Rod Dishman, baseball
1974    Mike Keltner, basketball
1975    David Oatman, basketball-baseball
1976    Jack Carter, football
1977    Steve Spencer, football
1978    Kelly Walker, football
1979    Tony Armstrong, basketball
1980    Mitch Ware, football
1981    Dennis Whitehouse, wrestling
1982    Mark Daniels, football
1983    Dan Hemenway, swimming
1984    None awarded
1985    Scott Mantooth, track-cross country
1986    Preston Stinger, football
1987    Stacey Burkey, baseball
1988    Roger James, track
1989    Richard Rippee, baseball
1990    Scott DeHart, baseball
1991    Mark Krause, wrestling
1992    Paul Carney, football
1993    Ricky Lowrance, basketball
1994    Marty Marsh, basketball
1995    Sam Wutke, basketball
1996    Ryan Bravo, football
1997    Corey Roy, football
1998    Randy Carpenter, boys' & girls' clubs
1999    Ryan Touhey, football
2000    Cory Schroepfer, basketball
2001    Adam O'Hara, school programs
2002    Shawn Widel, school programs
2003    Grant Berendt, school programs
2004    Landon Gray, sports officiating
2005    Matt Greenwood, ice hockey/ROTC
2006    Jud Kindle, baseball
2007    Ryan Waters, school programs
2008    Kurt Lower, school programs
2009    Wade Marriott, school programs
2010    Stephen Brabo, school programs
2011    Brent Chojnacki, football

Women
1969    Mary Cloninger, volleyball
1970    Sue Schuble, volleyball-basketball-softball
1971    Ann McCord, volleyball
1972    Sherry Leonardo, basketball-softball
1973    Mary Sue Slater Gunn, track-golf
1974    Mary Phyl Dwight, basketball-softball-volleyball-track-cross country
1975    Laverne Burns, basketball-softball
1976    Jan Kreutz, field hockey
1977    Sharon Baack, track-basketball
1978    Joanie French, basketball-volleyball-softball
1979    Cynthia Wilson, golf-basketball
1980    Jane Small, track-field hockey
1981    Debra Berry, cross country-tennis
1982    Terri Thomas, basketball-track
1983    Laurie Swiger, volleyball
1984    Lynne Miller, basketball
1985    Jamie Ausmus, basketball
1986    Paula Buscher, basketball-softball
1987    Anita Turpin, softball
1988    Patricia Blanke, field hockey-softball
1989    Laura Perdue, track
1990    Sonja Butler, track
1991    Michon Golding, athletic training services
1992    Tonya Bradley, basketball
1993    Heather O'Bryan, handball
1994    Tonya Baucom, basketball
1995    Tina Robbins, basketball
1996    Connie Eckert, athletic training services
1997    Sue Huber, school programs
1998    Jill Downing, school programs
1999    Chrystal James, school programs
2000    Verneta Lesforis, track
2001    Nicole Alexander, school programs
2002    Melody Campbell, basketball
2003    Jessie Ketterman Grant, color guard
2004    Page Applegate, handball
2005    Kayla England, school programs
2006    Amanda Spry, soccer, school programs
2007    Diane Luttrell, handball
2008    Allison Zeller, swimming
2009    Erica Warfield, basketball
2010    Carrie Semar, school programs
2011    Lauren McGinl