SPRINGFIELD -- A total of 43 current and former Missouri State University student-athletes will receive their degrees Friday, Dec. 14 during fall commencement ceremonies at JQH Arena on the Springfield campus.
 
The athletes represent 12 different sports with five individuals -- swimmers Nicholas Theunissen and Hanna Flanagan; soccer standout Rachel Catrell; tennis performer Ledis Molina; and track thrower Amanthi Silva -- earning magna summa cum laude (3.51-3.89 GPA) academic honors. Volleyball standout Ashley Ophoven, tennis star Anelisse Torrico Moreno, and swimmer Uldis Tazens also received cum laude academic honors (3.50-3.74 GPA).
 
Seven Bears are completing post-graduate degrees.
 
The December 2018 class represents MSU's second-largest crop of fall athletics graduates on record, just behind the 48 fall graduates in December of 2015. So far, during the 2017-18 academic year, a total of 61 Bear student-athletes have earned degrees, including 18 summer graduates honored in May.
 
By sport, here are the student-athletes completing their degrees in December 2018:
 
Baseball (1): Ryan Skalnik (Finance).
 
Beach Volleyball (1): Clare Stowe (Animal Science).
 
Football (12): Cole Christensen (Criminology), Aaron Clardy (Public Relations), Doug Cook (Marketing Management), Alex Cooley (Accounting), Colby Isbell (Communication Studies), Ben Kirse (Natural Resources), Sawyer Marlay (General Agriculture), JaMario McClendon (Sociology), Ty McDuffey (Professional Writing), Jordan Rainey (M.P.S. Sports Management), Jason Randall (General Studies), E.J. Sutton (Psychology).
 
Men's Soccer (3): Jake Buckle (Criminology), Nick Hibbeler (Communication Studies), Jake Laird (Sociology).
 
Men's Swimming & Diving (4): Will Brand (Construction Management), Ethan Bresette (Administrative Management), Uldis Tazans* (Physical Education), Nicholas Theunissen** (International Business Administration).
 
Women's Golf (2): Chiara Citterio (M.S. Clinical Psychology), Stine Pettersen (Administrative Management).
 
Softball (2): Rebe McPherson (M.S. Physician Assistant Studies), Hailee  Vigneaux (Family & Consumer Science Education)
 
Volleyball (2): Ashley Ophoven* (Marketing Research), Lynsey Wright (Biology).
 
Women's Soccer (2): Molly Brewer York (M.B.A. Business Administration), Rachel Catrell** (Child and Family Development).
 
Women's Swimming & Diving (2): Lauren Erdmann* (Criminology), Hanna Flanagan** (Journalism).
 
Women's Tennis (3): MacKinzie Conard (Global Studies), Ledis Molina** (Computer Animation), Anelisse Torrico Moreno* (Accounting).
 
Women's Track & Field (9): Shani Adams (Hospitality & Restaurant Administration), Selena Buckner (Art and Design), Haley Decker (Accounting), Cindy Forde (M.P.S. Hospitality Administration), Shavonne Husbands (M.S. Project Management), Pernell Joseph (M.P.S. Sports Management), Brittany McPike (General Business), Mercedes Robinson (Psychology), Amanthi Silva** (Accounting).
 
* Cum Laude; ** Magna Cum Laude; *** Summa Cum Laude; +Honors College
 
 
Missouri State University will confer 1,254 degrees to students at its 2018 fall commencement. Two ceremonies will be held at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at JQH Arena.
 
A total of 1,187 bachelor's degrees, 354 master's degrees, 12 doctorate degrees and one specialist degree will be conferred.
 
Past the standard expectations, the university will recognize 26 students for their work with a more rigorous curriculum in Missouri State's Honors College. The university will recognize 53 students who will graduate summa cum laude, 87 who will graduate magna cum laude, and 161 who will graduate cum laude.
 
The Missouri State commencement hub features ceremony details for graduates, guests, and faculty and staff. Graduates and families can also follow what is happening live with #BearGrads and social media sharing using the social media kit.