Commencement Home | #BearGrads
SPRINGFIELD -- A record group of 80 current and former Missouri State University student-athletes will receive their degrees at three spring commencement ceremonies scheduled for Friday, May 19 at JQH Arena on the Springfield campus.

Friday's ceremonies will be conducted at 10 a.m. (College of Business), 1:30 p.m. (Arts & Letters, Humanities, Public Affairs and Global Studies), and 5 p.m. (Health and Human Services, Natural and Applied Sciences, and the William H. Darr School of Agriculture).

Including August and December 2016 ceremonies, a record total of 130 Missouri State student-athletes will have earned their degrees during the 2016-17 academic year. Over the last 10 years, MSU commencement exercises have seen 975 student-athletes complete their degrees, while 368 former Bears have graduated in all ceremonies over the past three years.

The top graduating classes on record for Missouri State Athletics are: May 2017 (80), 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, 63 student-athletes earned undergraduate or graduate degrees in the May ceremonies, while 120 student-athletes earned their degrees during the 2015-16 academic year.

Football (16), women's track and field (13) and women's swimming and diving (12) led all sports in terms of individuals graduating this spring. Fifteen of the University's 17 intercollegiate programs have at least one student-athlete crossing the stage on Friday.

The 2017 spring commencement list also includes 24 MSU student-athletes graduating with academic honors. Eight student-athletes earned the top academic honor of summa cum laude with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.90 or higher, including Megan Drew (field hockey), Shawna Elsey (swimming and diving), Shelby Harris (football), Kirstie (Leslie) Holtermann (track and field), Alex Jefferson (baseball), Alyson Jones (track and field), Laura Ketzer (soccer) and Brandon Weissman (swimming and diving). Seven student-athletes compiled GPAs in the 3.75-3.89 range to earn magna cum laude distinction: Miguel Davila (swimming and diving), Josh Finch (soccer), Uvis Kalnins (swimming and diving), Millie Kingsbury (soccer), Hannah Leslie (track and field), Erin Struemph (softball) and Phil Woods (soccer). Nine additional student-athletes finished with GPAs in the 3.50 to 3.74 range to garner cum laude laurels, including: Gus Carter (football), Lindsey Eisenreich (golf), Erik Furmanek (football), Jordan Knutson (baseball), Rob Oslica (soccer), Genny Richards (swimming and diving), Brynne Satre (field hockey), Alexis Skiniotes (swimming & diving), Oliviah Sloan (track and field).

Six MSU student-athletes -- Carter (football), Harris (football), Holterman (track and field), Ketzer (soccer), Oslica (soccer) and Richards (swimming and diving) -- completed their undergraduate degrees with additional scrutiny in the Honors College. A total of 17 student-athletes earned Master's degrees.

Football linebacker Dylan Cole was also named as the winner of the 63rd Annual Virgil Cheek Athletic Achievement Award. Cole was a consensus first-team NCAA All-America selection as a senior and averaged 12.9 tackles per game to lead all Division I FCS players. He recorded at least 13 tackles in nine different games as a senior with a season high of 19. He was an All-MVFC first-team selection, MVFC Scholar-Athlete first-team pick and CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree. He racked up 85 solo tackles, eight tackles for loss and two interceptions and finished third in the 2016 Buck Buchanan Award voting as the top defensive player in the FCS ranks. Cole also played in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl and capped his career with 457 tackles in 46 games -- all starts -- finishing third on the Bears' career tackles chart and ninth all-time in conference history. He signed a free agent contract with the NFL's Houston Texans in April.

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 2016-17 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.

MSU will confer a total of 1,995 bachelor's degrees, 554 master's degrees, 93 doctorate degrees and nine specialist degrees Friday. Beyond the standard expectations, the university will recognize 121 students for their work with a more rigorous curriculum in Missouri State's Honors College. The university will recognize 129 students who will graduate summa cum laude, 165 who will graduate magna cum laude, and 329 who will graduate cum laude.  
 
Spring 2017 Graduates
 
Baseball (5): Matt Fultz (Criminology), Alex Jefferson (Accounting), Jordan Knutson (Construction Management), Matt Lawson (M.S. Sports Management), Danny Rowley (Construction Management).
 
Men's Basketball (2): Tyler McCullough (Finance), Austin Ruder (Accounting).
 
Women's Basketball (2): Kori Farmer (Exercise & Movement Science), Rachel Swartz (Communication Studies).
 
Field Hockey (4): Megan Drew (Psychology), Kim Eng (M.B.A. Business Administration & Graduate Certificate Marketing), Leah Reitmayer (Dietetics), Brynne Satre (Sport & Park Administration).
 
Football (16): Ryan Boatright (Sport & Park Administration), Chris Cacciarelli (Economics), Gus Carter (English Education), Zack Cooley (M.S. Sports Management), John Edwards (M.S. Sports Management), Erik Furmanek (Logistics & Supply Chain Management), David Godsey (History Education), Shelby Harris (Chemistry Cell & Molecular Biology), Zac Hoover (Sociology), Ben Howard (Construction Management), Jake Lasater (M.B.A. Business Administration & Graduate Certificate Cybersecurity), Alex Lawson (Agricultural Finance & Management), Cedric Miller (Sport & Park Administration), Stephen Riley (Administrative Management), Colby Wickwar (Physical Education), Deandre Williams (Criminology).
 
Women's Golf (1): Lindsey Eisenreich (Exercise & Movement Science).
 
Men's Soccer (6): Josh Finch (Entrepreneurship), Jack Griffin (Criminology), Robbie Oslica (Cell & Molecular Biology), James Routledge (Administrative Management), Neal Sampson (Psychology), Phil Woods (Entertainment Management).
 
Women's Soccer (5): Lauren Fussell (M.S. Criminal Justice & Graduate Certificate Homeland Security & Defense), Laura Ketzer (Astronomy and Astrophysics), Millie Kingsbury (General Business), Evan Stamp (Finance), Sidni Trotter (Speech-Language Pathology).
 
Softball (2): Heather Duckworth (M.S. Industrial/Organizational Psychology), Erin Struemph (Exercise & Movement Science).
 
Men's Swimming & Diving (10): Michal Bulak (M.S. Materials Science), Miguel Davila (International Business Administration Economics), Aaron Dennis (M.B.A. Business Administration & Graduate Certificate Leadership), Yuri Garanito (M.B.A. Business Administration), Soren Heilskov (Hospitality & Restaurant Administration), Uvis Kalnins (Economics International Business Administration), Isaac McKnight (M.H.A. Health Administration), Garrett Nevels (M.B.A. Business Administration & Graduate Certificate International Business), Preston Selby (Wildlife Conservation & Management), Brandon Weissman (Accounting).
 
Women's Swimming & Diving (12): Shawna Elsey (Marketing Research Logistics & Supply Chain Management), CeCe Etter (Speech-Language Pathology), Kate Gately (Marketing Management), Megan Holthoff (M.S. Speech-Language Pathology), Quincy Howell (Psychology), Hannah Molden (Psychology), Nina Privitera (Psychology), Genny Richards (Creative Writing), Alexis Skiniotes (Risk Management & Insurance), Heather Snyder (Health Services), Morgan Uhlman (Radiography), Carly Wright (Dietetics).
 
Women's Track & Field (13): Kirstie (Leslie) Holtermann (Cell & Molecular Biology), Shavonne Husbands (Construction Management), Alyson Jones (Public Relations), Hannah Leslie (Biology Education), Althia Maximilien (M.S. Administrative Studies & Graduate Certificate Hospitality Administration), Merica Moncherry (M.S. Health Promotion & Wellness Management), Megan Nickles (Speech-Language Pathology), Holly O'Dell (Exercise & Movement Science), Holly Pattie-Belleli (Communication Studies), Adriane Pickering (Exercise & Movement Science), Melanie Raterman (Hospitality & Restaurant Administration), Oliviah Sloan (Economics), Mackenzie Weis (M.S. Speech-Language Pathology).
 
Volleyball (2): Olivia Brand (M.S. Speech-Language Pathology), Tatum Marshall (Exercise & Movement Science).
 
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
•           2017 Dylan Cole, football