May 14, 2014
MSU Graduation Central | Live Streaming | Spangenberg Bio
SPRINGFIELD -- A group of 60 Missouri State University student-athletes will receive their degrees at three spring commencement ceremonies scheduled for Friday, May 16 at JQH Arena on the Springfield campus. This year's graduation total represents the fourth-highest student-athlete graduation class total on record at MSU.
Friday's ceremonies will be conducted at 10 a.m. (College of Business), 1:30 p.m. (Arts and Letters, Education, Humanities and Public Affairs, and global studies majors) and 5 p.m. (Health and Human Services, Natural and Applied Sciences, and the William H. Darr School of Agriculture).
Including August and December 2013 ceremonies, a total of 94 current and former Missouri State student-athletes have earned their degrees during the 2013-14 academic year. Over the last 10 years, MSU commencement exercises have seen 920 student-athletes complete their degrees, while 269 former Bears have graduated in all ceremonies over the past three years.
The top graduating classes on record for Missouri State athletics are: May 2006 (64), May 2004 (61), May 2009 (61), May 2014 (60), May 2005 (59), May 2002 (57), May 2007 (57), May 2008 (57) and May 2012 (57). A year ago, 46 student-athletes earned undergraduate or graduate degrees in the May 2013 ceremonies.
Football (12) and women's swimming and diving (9) led all sports in terms of individuals graduating this spring, while baseball (7), track and field/cross country (5), volleyball (4) and field hockey (4) squads also were well represented. The men's soccer (3), women's soccer (3), women's basketball (3), men's swimming and diving (3), men's basketball (2), men's golf (2), softball (2) and women's golf (1) programs will also have representatives participating in Friday's commencement exercises.
The 2014 spring graduation list includes 19 MSU student-athletes graduating with academic honors. Three student-athletes earned the top academic honor of summa cum laude with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.90 or higher, including Caleb Schaffitzel (football), Karly Buer (women's basketball) and Ashley Mason (volleyball). Five student-athletes compiled GPAs in the 3.75-3.89 range to earn magna cum laude distinction: Cole Alexander (men's soccer), Adam Huey (men's swimming), Catrina Schmidt (field hockey), Nia Williams (women's soccer) and Alyx Dull (track and field). Eleven additional student-athletes finished with GPAs in the 3.50 to 3.74 range to garner cum laude laurels, including: Conor Smith (baseball), Nathan Scheer (men's basketball), Geoff Stanford (football), Austin Witmer (football), Adam Welch (men's golf), Jacob Coleman (men's swimming), Jared Roberts (men's swimming), Katie Mulloy (field hockey), Kerri Cunningham (softball), Michelle Mayne-Nicholls (women's soccer), and Paige Koebbe (women's swimming).
Five MSU student-athletes - Coleman, Dull, Schmidt, Smith, and Lindsey Conway (women's swimming) -- completed their undergraduate degrees with additional scrutiny in the Honors College.
Soccer standout Trevor Spangenberg (Valparaiso, Ind.) was also named as the winner of the 60th Annual Virgil Cheek Athletic Achievement Award, based on voting by the head coaches of MSU's six men's sports.
Spangenberg made his professional soccer debut with MLS' Chivas USA on May 3, 2014 when he also recorded his first pro save. The standout goal keeper played every minute in goal for the Bears during the 2013 season, helping Missouri State to a Missouri Valley Conference regular-season title and nation-leading 0.41 goals-against average.
He was named All-MVC first team and was a two-time MVC Player of the Week while setting MVC and MSU records for fewest goals allowed in a season (8). He surrendered just one goal in Valley play (0.16 GAA), recorded 11 shutouts overall and became MSU's career leader in GAA (0.67). The NSCAA all-region selection also ranked No. 3 in the nation in 2013 in goals-against average (0.41).
Spangenberg overcame a massive lower leg break in the summer of 2012 that required multiple surgeries, skin grafts, and extensive physical rehabilitation just to be able to walk again. He overcame those obstacles through intense training, teaching himself to kick again and eventually to perform in goal at a higher level than before his injury. His story and leadership helped Coach Jon Leamy's Bears gain inspiration and improve from last place in the MVC in 2012 to a conference regular-season title and trip to the MVC Tournament championship game in 2013. He graduated in December of 2013 with a 3.0 GPA and a degree in Criminology.
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.
Men's basketball standout Nathan Scheer, baseball pitcher Clay Murphy, and football kicker Austin Witmer were also finalists for this year's Virgil Cheek Award.
A total of 1,784 bachelor's degrees, 553 master's degrees, four specialist degrees and 40 doctorate degrees will be conferred by Missouri State University on Friday. Beyond the standard expectations, 174 students will be recognized for their work with a more rigorous curriculum in Missouri State's Honors College. Scholastic honors will be given to 91 students who will graduate summa cum laude, 140 who will graduate magna cum laude, and 306 who will graduate cum laude (with a GPA of 3.5-3.74).
The two remaining awards to be selected for the 2013-14 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.
#BearGrads
------------------
SPRING 2014 STUDENT-ATHLETES
UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES:
Baseball (7): Brock Chaffin (Advertising & Promotion / Logistics & Supply Chain Management), Spiker Helms (Economics), Trey Massenberg (General Business), Travis McComack (Criminology), Jake Powers (Criminology), Cody Schumacher (Psychology), Conor Smith (Cell & Molecular Biology).
Men's Basketball (1): Nathan Scheer (Construction Management).
Women's Basketball (3): Karly Buer (Sport Administration), Desiree Phillips (Criminology), Bry Snow (Sport Administration).
Field Hockey (3): Andrea Bain (Administrative Management), Catrina Schmidt (Biology), Katie Mulloy (Public Relations).
Football (12): Reginald Blanchard (Criminology), Dorian Buford (Criminology), Mikael Cooper-Falls (Criminology), Tevan Ferguson (Hospitality & Restaurant Administration), Ashton Glaser (Hospitality & Restaurant Administration), Kyle Hahn (Criminology), Elgie Hurd (Exercise & Movement Science), Art Rucker (Political Science), Caleb Schaffitzel (Wildlife Conservation & Management), Vernon Scott (Psychology), Geoff Stanford (Exercise & Movement Science), Austin Witmer (Accounting).
Men's Golf (2): Eric Straub (Socio-Political Communication / Conflict & Dispute Resolution), Adam Welch (Accounting).
Women's Golf (1): Hermine Greyling (Exercise & Movement Science).
Men's Soccer (3): Cole Alexander (Advertising & Promotion), Ryan Moses (Exercise & Movement Science), Cal Roselieb (General Business).
Women's Soccer (3): Emily Jordan (Exercise & Movement Science), Michelle Mayne-Nicholls (Elementary Education), Nia Williams (Elementary Education).
Softball (2): Kerri Cunningham (Psychology), Kirstin Cutter (Sport Administration).
Men's Swimming & Diving (3): Jacob Coleman (Economics), Adam Huey (Hospitality & Restaurant Administration), Jared Roberts (Criminology).
Women's Swimming & Diving (8): Roni Balzam (Biochemistry), Katie Brown (English Education), Lindsey Conway (Biology), Janke Engelbrecht (Housing & Interior Design), Suzanne Feakes (Administrative Management), Paige Koebbe (Exercise & Movement Science), Melissa Oishi (Dietetics), Andrea Uzcategui (Media Production).
Women's Track & Field (4): Emily Argotsinger (Exercise & Movement Science), Jessica Dantin (Exercise & Movement Science), Alyx Dull (Speech-Language Pathology), Pernell Joseph (Psychology).
Volleyball (4): Ashley Mason (Business Education), Christina Cunio (Exercise & Movement Science), Courtney McCarter (Psychology), Karen Rivatto (Hospitality & Restaurant Administration).
GRADUATE DEGREES:
Field Hockey (1): Ramie Masters (M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology).
Men's Basketball (1): Ryan Carmichael (M.S. in Accountancy).
Women's Swimming & Diving (1): Katie Lindeman (M.S. in Criminology).
Women's Track & Field (1): Caitlin Masterson (M.S. in Experimental Psychology).
------------------
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
2013 Daily Young, golf
2014 Trevor Spangenberg, soccer
