May 12, 2016 MSU Graduation Central | Live Streaming | #BearGrads SPRINGFIELD -- A group of 63 current and former Missouri State University student-athletes will receive their degrees at three spring commencement ceremonies scheduled for Friday, May 13 at JQH Arena on the Springfield campus.
Friday's ceremonies will be conducted at 10 a.m. (Health and Human Services, Natural and Applied Sciences, and the William H. Darr School of Agriculture), 1:30 p.m. (College of Business), and 5 p.m. (Arts and Letters, Education, Humanities and Public Affairs, and Global Studies majors). Field hockey senior Charlie Redhead will be the student commencement speaker for the 10 a.m. ceremony.
Including August and December 2015 ceremonies, a record total of 120 Missouri State student-athletes have earned their degrees during the 2015-16 academic year. Over the last 10 years, MSU commencement exercises have seen 951 student-athletes complete their degrees, while 331 former Bears have graduated in all ceremonies over the past three years.
The top graduating classes on record for Missouri State Athletics are: May 2015 (73), May 2006 (64), May 2016 (63), 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, a record 73 student-athletes earned undergraduate or graduate degrees in the May ceremonies, while a fall commencement record of 48 student-athletes earned their degrees in December 2015.
Football (15), field hockey (8) and women's track and field/cross country (7) led all sports in terms of individuals graduating this spring. All of the University's 17 intercollegiate programs have at least one student-athlete crossing the stage on Friday.
The 2016 spring commencement list also includes 23 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 field hockey honorees Jessi Pope and Holly Scherer, soccer performers Cassie Le and Molly Brewer, swimmer Jack Snow, and trackster Lisa Oliphant. Eight student-athletes compiled GPAs in the 3.75-3.89 range to earn magna cum laude distinction: Jake Lasater (football), Kenzie Williams (women's basketball), Patrice Ahl (field hockey), Charlie Redhead (field hockey), Suzanne Allen (softball), Erin Stewart (women's soccer), Robiann Broomfield (track and field) and Hannah Steinbeck (volleyball). Eleven additional student-athletes finished with GPAs in the 3.50 to 3.74 range to garner cum laude laurels, including: Andy Cheray (baseball), Brik Brauburger (men's golf), Jackie Eskue (field hockey), Sydney Richelieu (field hockey), Chiara Citterio (women's golf), Braxton Coil (softball), Shannon Myer (women's swimming), Alyssa Powers (women's swimming), Tenaly Smith (track and field).
Three MSU student-athletes -- Snow, Brewer and Oliphant -- completed their undergraduate degrees with additional scrutiny in the Honors College.
Baseball Pitcher Sam Perez has also named as the winner of the 62nd Annual Virgil Cheek Athletic Achievement Award. A right-hander from Branson, Mo., Perez was a 2015 MVC Scholar-Athlete Team first-team pick and enters the final month of his senior season with a career mound record of 17-2. His 71 career appearances ranks fourth all-time at MSU, while this season, he is 5-0 with a 3.38 ERA and an MVC-high 70 strikeouts. Perez is also a two-time MVC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award winner and three-time MVC Academic Honor Roll member. He has a 3.41 GPA in Cell and Molecular Biology.
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.
The two remaining year-end Athletics awards to be selected for the 2015-16 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 announced.
A total of 2,424 bachelor's degrees, 561 master's degrees and 73 doctorate degrees will be conferred on Friday at Missouri State University. Beyond the standard expectations, 180 students will be recognized for their work with a more rigorous curriculum in Missouri State's Honors College. Scholastic honors will be given to 114 students who will graduate summa cum laude, 146 who will graduate magna cum laude, and 266 who will graduate cum laude.
#BearGrads
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Spring 2016 Graduating MSU Student-Athletes
Baseball (2): Andy Cheray (Chemistry), Sam Perez (Cell and Molecular Biology).
Men's Basketball (3): Camyn Boone (Psychology), Keith Pickens (M.S. Sports Management), Dorrian Williams (Criminology).
Women's Basketball (1): Kenzie Williams (Elementary Education).
Field Hockey (8): Patrice Ahl (Fashion Merchandising & Management), Jackie Eskue (English Education), Dominique Leyva (Administrative Management), Cami Mullins (Marketing Management), Jessi Pope (Psychology), Charlie Redhead (Psychology), Sydney Richelieu (Psychology), Holly Scherer (Administrative Management).
Football (15): James Barnes (Facility Management), Logan Bauer (Administrative Management), Marcelo Bonani (Criminology), Eric Christophel (Marketing Management), Richard Darden (Sport & Park Administration), Joe Eason (Sociology), Corey Feagin (Hospitality & Restaurant Administration), Kierra Harris (Psychology), Christian Hoffmann (Logistics and Supply Chain Management), Elgie Hurd (M.S. Health Promotion & Wellness Mgmt.), Jake Lasater (Accounting), Derek Miller (M.S. Nurse Anesthesia), Chris Sullens (Sport & Park Administration), Tim Williams (M.S. Sports Management), Brandan Wright (Criminology).
Men's Golf (1): Brik Brauburger (Finance).
Women's Golf (4): Estefania Acosta Aguirre (Psychology), Chiara Citterio (Psychology, Gerontology), Megan Thompson (Sport & Park Administration), Ariel Tidwell (Criminology).
Men's Soccer (3): Jonathan Boyack (Criminology), Jay Butts (Doctor of Physical Therapy), Mikey Lightbourne (Administrative Management).
Women's Soccer (5): Molly Brewer (General Business), Cassie Le (Biology), Michelle Mayne-Nicholls (M.S.E.D. Literacy), Erin Stewart (Exercise & Movement Science), Kristina Tomaras (Speech-Language Pathology).
Softball (3): Suzanne Allen (Early Childhood Education), Braxton Coil (Psychology), Erin Duewel (Biology).
Men's Swimming & Diving (3): Jack Snow (Biology), Isaac Springer (Cell and Molecular Biology), Zach Wheeler (Risk Management & Insurance).
Women's Swimming & Diving (4): Emily Chesser (Exercise & Movement Science), Suzanne Janse van Rensburg (Hospitality & Restaurant Administration), Shannon Myer (Dietetics), Alyssa Powers (Nursing).
Women's Tennis (1): Mackenzie Rozell (Actuarial Mathematics).
Women's Track & Field / Cross Country (7): Caitlin Beasley (Psychology), Robiann Broomfield (Psychology), Alyx Dull (M.S. Speech-Language Pathology), Jelani Kelly (M.S. Health Promotion & Wellness Mgmt.), Lisa Oliphant (Special Education), Kadison Severson (Criminology), Tenaly Smith (General Business).
Volleyball (3): Kinsey Batten (Sales Management), Simone House (Global Studies), Hannah Steinbeck (Dietetics).
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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
- 2013 Daily Young, golf
- 2014 Trevor Spangenberg, soccer
- 2015 Caleb Schaffitzel, football
- 2016 Sam Perez, baseball
