Commencement Central
 
SPRINGFIELD -- With the largest spring class of graduating student-athletes on record, a total of 82 current and former Bears will complete their undergraduate and post-graduate requirements this week at Missouri State University's commencement ceremonies.
 
For the fourth straight year, students who are on track to complete their degrees during the summer term may also be recognized with the spring graduating class. Including 28 student-athletes on the August graduation list -- and the aforementioned 82 spring graduates -- a total of 110 Missouri State student-athletes will be "turning pro" in their various fields of study.
 
During the 2020-21 academic year, another record total of 141 Missouri State student-athletes will have completed their degrees. That total includes 31 individuals who finished their program requirements in December.
 
Over the last 10 years, MSU commencement exercises have seen 1,171 student-athletes complete their degrees, while 398 former Bears have graduated over the past three years alone. This is the seventh consecutive year with 100 or more graduating student-athletes.
 
The top commencement ceremonies on record for Missouri State Athletics are now: May 2021 (82), May 2017 (81), May 2019 (79), May 2020 (75), May 2015 (73), May 2018 (71), May 2006 (64), May 2016 (63), May 2004 (61), May 2009 (61).
 
Football (20), women's track and field (17) and men's swimming and diving (10) paced all sports in terms of individual graduates this spring and summer.
 
The 2021 spring and summer commencement list also includes 26 MSU student-athletes graduating with academic honors and 26 earning post-graduate degrees.
 
Five student-athletes earned the top academic honor of summa cum laude (#) with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.90 or higher, including: Allee Armitage (women's swimming & diving), Jasmine Crawford (women's track & field), Abby Hipp (women's basketball), Carolyn Stock (softball) and Emily Yaeger (women's track & field).
 
Armitage completed her undergraduate degree with additional scrutiny in the Honors College.
 
Ten student-athletes compiled GPAs in the 3.75-3.89 range to earn magna cum laude (##) distinction: Grace Breiten (women's track & field/xc), Sam Brinkmann (beach volleyball), Madison Brown (women's swimming & diving), Charles Carter (football), Jordan Eickelman (women's soccer), Chloe Martin (women's tennis), Shelby Palmer (women's track & field), Emma Skornia (women's soccer), Lily van Bilon (women's swimming & diving) and Erica Wollmering (women's track & field).
 
Eleven additional student-athletes finished with GPAs in the 3.50 to 3.74 range to garner cum laude (###) laurels, including: Taylor Beadle (women's swimming & diving), Anna Durnin (women's soccer), Chloe Filipski (beach volleyball), Emily Graham (women's track & field), Bryn McQuad (women's soccer), Anna Miller (women's swimming & diving), Nicolo Mulatero (men's soccer), Emelie Orlando (volleyball), Lexi Palacio (women's soccer), Dayana Popa (women's swimming & diving), and Maddie Prettyman (women's swimming & diving).
 
Missouri State University will confer a total of 3,011 degrees during ceremonies at JQH Arena Thursday and Friday, including 2,170 bachelor's degrees, 708 master's degrees, 117 doctorate degrees and 16 specialist degrees. Beyond the standard expectations, the university will recognize 107 students for their work with a more rigorous curriculum in Missouri State's Honors College. The university will recognize 213 students who will graduate summa cum laude, 242 who will graduate magna cum laude, and 433 who will graduate cum laude.
   
 
 
By sport, here are Missouri State's spring and summer 2021 graduating student-athletes:
 
Baseball (8): Ty Buckner (General Business), Logan Geha (M.B.A. Business Administration), Walker Jenkins* (General Studies), Kevin Medrano (Criminology), Nick Petree (M.P.S. Sports Management), Matt Russell* (General Business), Hunter Steinmetz Criminology, Ben Whetstone (M.B.A. Business Administration / Management Grad. Certificate).
 
Men's Basketball (2): Spencer Brown (History), Jared Ridder* (Sociology).
 
Women's Basketball (3): Bri Ellis (Journalism), Emily Gartner (Sport & Park Administration), Abby Hipp (Administrative Management #).
 
Beach Volleyball (6): Sam Brinkmann (Accounting ##), Caroline Derryberry (Accounting), Chloe Filipski* (Exercise & Movement Science ###), Kendra Sater* (General Studies), Makayla Tam (Sociology), Veronica Snelling* (Fashion Merchandising).
 
Field Hockey (1): Sara O'Malley (M.B.A. Business Administration).
 
Football (20): Daniel Allen (General Studies), Armand Baker (General Studies), Charles Carter (History Education ##), Breon Dixon (General Studies), Kevin Ellis (Psychology), Jordan Guilfoy* (Administrative Management), Dalton Hill (Communication Studies), Derek Kohler (Special Education), Grant Martin* (Sales Management), Anthony Payne (Sociology), Arin Reynolds* (General Studies), Tanner Schnelle (Exercise & Movement Science), Isaac Smith (Sport & Park Administration), Wes Stammers (M.S.E.D. Education Administration), Lorenzo Thomas* (Sociology), Titus Wall (General Studies), Jeremy Webb* (General Studies), Isaac Williams* (General Business). Clayton Weber (Entertainment Management), Brendan Withrow (M.B.A. Business Administration / Project Management Grad. Certificate).
 
Men's Golf (2): Lukas McCalla (M.B.A. Business Administration / Finance Grad. Certificate), Christopher Obert (M.B.A. Business Administration / International Business Grad. Certificate).
 
Women's Golf (4): Niamh Lendrum (Psychology), Brooke Newell (Agricultural Communications), Sophia Sadaro (Cell & Molecular Biology), Bridget Schulte (Marketing Management).
 
Men's Soccer (7): Jake Buckle (M.P.S. Sports Management / Sports Management Grad. Certificate), Josh Finch (M.B.A. Business Administration), Connor Langan (Administrative Management), Nicolo Mulatero (Economics ###), Sam Ottley* (General Studies), Gage Steiner (Wildlife Conservation & Management), Greg Stratton (Information Technology).
 
Women's Soccer (9): Courtney Kolb Beshore (D.P.T. Physical Therapy), Anna Durnin* (Advertising & Promotion ###), Jordan Eickelman (Exercise & Movement Science ##), Kaitlin Maxwell (M.B.A. Business Administration / Management Grad. Certificate), Bryn McQuaid (Risk Management & Insurance ###), Mayleigh Oder (M.B.A. Business Administration / Finance Grad. Certificate), Lexi Palacio (Cell & Molecular Biology ###), Emma Skornia (Exercise & Movement Science ##), Amanda Sullivan* (Journalism).
 
Softball (6): Darian Frost (M.P.S. Sports Management / Sports Management Grad. Certificate), Kelly Metter* (Entertainment Management), Madison Orr (General Studies / Forensic Child Psych. Undergrad. Certificate), Daphne Plummer* (Exercise & Movement Science), Kara Powelson (M.S. Plant Science), Carolyn Stock (Cell & Molecular Biology / Medical Humanities Undergrad Certificate #).
 
Men's Swimming & Diving (10): Michael Claunch* (Digital Film & Television Production),Connor Cox (Psychology / Criminology / Forensic Child Psch Undergrad. Certif.), Kacper Cwiek (M.B.A. Business Administration / Cybersecurity & Management Grad. Certificates), William Frisbie (M.B.A. Business Administration), Michael Hampel (General Studies), McClay Hartsfield (Administrative Management, Minki Kang* (M.B.A. Business Administration), Aaron Keesling (Operations Management), Jacob Schultz (Wildlife Conservation & Management), Sam Senn (M.B.A. Business Administration / Data Analytics Grad. Certificate).
 
Women's Swimming & Diving (8): Haley Allen (M.B.A. Business Administration / Leadership Grad. Certificate), Allee Armitage (Anthropology #), Taylor Beadle (Exercise & Movement Science ###), Madison Brown (Marketing Management / Sales ##), Anna Miller* (Marketing Management ###), Dayana Popa (Journalism ###), Maddie Prettyman (Exercise & Movement Science ###), Lily van Biljon (Cell & Molecular Biology ##).
 
Women's Tennis (4): Claire Martin (Marketing Research ##), Courtney Potter* (Sales Management), Hana Sisirak* (M.B.A. Business Administration / Marketing Grad. Certificate),  Anelisse Torrico Moreno (M.S. Project Management).
 
Women's Track & Field (17): Chicago Bains* (Fashion Merchandising), Grace Breiten (Special Education ##), Rachel Campbell (M.P.S. Sports Management / Sports Management Grad. Certificate), Jasmine Crawford (Exercise & Movement Science #), Caroline Duboeuf (Agricultural Finance and Management), Chanice Forbes* (Information Technology), Emily Graham (Cell & Molecular Biology ###), Allie Hafner* (Fashion Merchandising), Daijha Heron (M.P.S. Sports Management), Jamilah James (Criminology), Timeka Jordan (Exercise & Movement Science), India McNeill* (Communication Studies), Madison Meredith (General Studies), Shelby Palmer (Biology ##), Mercedes Robinson (M.S. Clinical Psychology), Erica Wollmering* (Professional Writing / Workplace Writing Undergrad. Certificate ##), Emily Yaeger (Animal Science #).
 
Volleyball (3): Alyssa Doucette* (Professional Writing / Workplace Writing Undergrad. Certificate), Mackenzie Irwin (M.P.S. Sports Management  / Sports Management Grad. Certificate), Emelie Orlando (Psychology ###).
 
 
KEY
# Summa Cum Laude
## Magna Cum Laude
### Cum Laude
* Summer graduate
 
Note: Summer commencement ceremonies were eliminated in 2018.