May 18, 2012
SPRINGFIELD -- Following his commencement ceremony at JQH Arena on Friday (May 18), former Missouri State soccer standout Heath Melugin (Springfield, Mo.) was named the winner of the 58th Annual Virgil Cheek Athletic Achievement Award. He becomes just the third men's soccer player to receive the award and first since 2006.
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 forward 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 earned summa cum laude honors with a 3.97 GPA in molecular biology and plans to attend medical school at the University of Kansas.
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
