May 18, 2012
SPRINGFIELD -- A group of 57 Missouri State University student-athletes will receive their degrees at three spring commencement ceremonies at JQH Arena on Friday, May 18. Also Friday, former Missouri State soccer standout Heath Melugin (Springfield, Mo.) was named as the winner of the 58th 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.
Melugin was an All-MVC first team honoree as a senior in 2011 and led the MVC co-champion Bears in points, goals, shots, shots on goal and game-winners. He earned CoSIDA Academic All-America honors for the second straight year, garnering elite status as the first Bear in any sport to earn Academic All-America first-team distinction since 2006.
The standout midfielder from Springfield was named to the MVC All-Tournament Team as a senior and was selected as the 2011 MVC Elite 18 Award winner in men's soccer. He also earned CoSIDA Academic All-District first-team honors for the third season, was named Prairie Farms-MVC Student Athlete of the Week twice, earned a spot on the MVC Scholar-Athlete first-team for the third year and was named a finalist for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award.
He finished his career ranked fifth all-time at MSU in game-winners (8), seventh in goals (22) and eighth in points (53). He will earn summa cum laude honors with a 3.97 GPA and plans to attend medical school.
Including August and December 2011 ceremonies, a total of 95 Missouri State student-athletes have earned their degrees during the 2011-12 academic year.
Football once again led all programs with the most undergraduate degrees conferred this spring with 15, while women's swimming and diving was second with seven, followed by field hockey (5), women's soccer (5), men's soccer (4), men's swimming and diving (4), women's track and field (3), women's golf (3), men's golf (2), volleyball (2), baseball (1) and women's basketball (1).
The 2012 spring graduation list includes 15 MSU student-athletes graduating with academic honors. Six student-athletes earned the top academic honor of summa cum laude with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.90 or higher, including Tara Bailes (women's soccer), Jenna Compton (field hockey), Jennifer Hamlin (women's soccer), Emily Matthews (women's golf), Heath Melugin (men's soccer) and Emily Potts (women's golf). Six additional student-athletes compiled GPAs in the 3.75-3.89 range to earn magna cum laude distinction: Elizabeth Chollet (women's swimming), Ramie Masters (field hockey), Laura Peterson (women's swimming), Jessica Teahan (women's soccer), Kelsey Welber (women's golf) and Brianna Willoughby (women's swimming). Three student-athletes finished with GPAs in the 3.50 to 3.74 range to garner cum laude laurels, including Brynne Buell (women's swimming), Tyler Saltzberry (men's swimming) and Thomas Vania (men's soccer). Five MSU student-athletes completed their undergraduate degrees with additional scrutiny in the honors college.
A year ago, 40 student-athletes earned undergraduate or graduate degrees in the May 2011 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), May 2012 (57).
The winners of the Andrew J. McDonald Achievement Award also were selected in advance of Friday's commencement activities. The Health, Physical Education and Recreation Department faculty annually recognizes the top graduating senior athletics participants majoring in healthy and physical education. The 2012 recipients of the award are: Katherine Fitzwater from Potosi, Mo., who graduated in December with a 3.68 GPA, and Bradley Angel from Knob Noster, Mo., who finished with a 3.11 GPA. Both students were heavily involved in intramural programs and coaching in the Springfield Community.
The two remaining awards to be selected for the 2011-12 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 for the graduating senior with the highest GPA, and the Missouri State Outstanding Female Athlete Award will be presented.
Missouri State University will confer a total of 2,541 degrees during three spring commencement ceremonies, including 1,940 bachelor's degrees, 548 master's degrees, nine specialist degrees and 44 doctorate degrees. Beyond the standard expectations, 200 students will be recognized for their work with a more rigorous curriculum in Missouri State's Honors College. Scholastic honors will be given to 272 students who will graduate summa cum laude (with a grade point average of 3.9-4.0 on a 4.0 scale), 156 who will graduate magna cum laude (with a GPA of 3.75-3.89) and 135 who will graduate cum laude (with a GPA of 3.5-3.74).
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UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES:
Baseball (1): Tyler Paxson (Hospitality & Restaurant Administration).
Football (15): Adam Beauchamp (Construction Management), Jordan Chiles (Exercise & Movement Science), Brandon Hilt (Construction Management), David Ingram (Criminology), Stephen Johnston (Broadcast Journalism), Jacob Murphy (General Business), Luther Roweton (Agricultural Marketing & Sales), Mikel Ruder (Hospitality & Restaurant Administration), Jermaine Saffold (Criminology), Wes Stammers (Physical Education), Jimmie Strong (Therapeutic Recreation), Philip Terhaar (Construction Management), Charlie Thompson (Criminology), Willie White (Criminology), Jarrett Wright (Entertainment Management).
Men's Golf (2): Will Hogan (Psychology), Jordan McLaurin (Communication Studies).
Men's Soccer (4): David Buckenheimer (Entertainment Management), Chad Johnson (Broadcast Journalism), Heath Melugin*** (Cell & Molecular Biology), Thomas Vania* (Accounting).
Men's Swimming & Diving (4): Christopher Hyatt (Construction Management), Morgan Mitchell (Biology - honors), Tyler Saltzberry* (Wildlife Conservation & Management), Cajun Skinner (Psychology).
Women's Basketball (1): Casey Garrison (Psychology).
Field Hockey (5): Jenna Compton*** (Dietetics - honors), Elizabeth Grasso (Psychology), Kelsey Lomax (Dietetics), Ramie Masters** (Speech-Language Pathology), Lori Sinclair (Dietetics).
Women's Golf (3): Emily Matthews*** (Speech-Language Pathology), Emily Potts*** (Finance - honors), Kelsey Welber** (Marketing Management).
Women's Soccer (5): Tara Bailes*** (General Business - honors), Jennifer Hamlin*** (Dietetics - honors), Sarah Linsin (Elementary Education), Jordan Reppell (Entertainment Management), Jessica Teahan** (Early Childhood Education).
Women's Swimming & Diving (7): Brynne Buell* (Public Relations), Elizabeth Chollet (Exercise & Movement Science), Katie Lindeman (Criminology), Laura Peterson** (Political Science), Torrie Villasenor (Elementary Education), Caroline Williams (Athletic Training), Brianna Willoughby** (Dietetics),
Women's Track & Field (3): Kristen Cypret (Creative Writing / French), Scarlett McCall (Photography), Leneice Rolle (Psychology).
Volleyball (2): Kelley Michnowicz (Psychology), Calli Norman (Art & Design)
GRADUATE DEGREES:
Women's Soccer (3): Samantha Aguilar (Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, M.S.), Christine Cross (Social Work, M.S.W.), Jenna Laughlin (Literacy, M.S.E.D).
Women's Swimming & Diving (2): Sara Griffith (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, GRCT), Katharina Voelkel (Mathematics, M.S.).
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Past 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
2012 Heath Melugin, soccer
Past 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
2012 Bradley Angel, school programs
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 McGinley, softball
2012 Katherine Fitzwater, school programs
