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SPRINGFIELD -- A total of 36 current and former Missouri State University student-athletes will receive their degrees Friday, Dec. 16 during fall commencement ceremonies at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at Great Southern Bank Arena on the Springfield campus.
 
Led by football (11), softball (5) and men's soccer (5), the graduating student-athletes represent 11 different sports.

A dozen graduates earned academic honors. Four student-athletes earned summa cum laude (3.90 to 4.00 GPA) academic honors, including men's soccer standout Giacomo Sala, softballers Abi LaValley and Kat Taylor, and triple jumper Olivia Richards. Likewise, magna cum laude distinction (3.75-3.89 GPA) will be bestowed on men's soccer superiors Jack Denton and Kian Yari, along with former volleyball performer Leah Vokolek. Finally, swimmers Arthur Cury and Tyler Lewis, softball outfielder Meagan McCorkell, soccer forward Aadne Bruseth and baseball pitcher David Senn all earned cum laude (3.50-3.74 GPA) honors.
 
Twelve Bears are also completing post-graduate degrees.
 
All told, Missouri State will confer 1,001 bachelor's degrees, 505 master's degrees, 14 doctorate degrees and one specialist degree on Friday. The university will recognize 17 students for their work with a more rigorous curriculum in the school's Honors College in addition to 74 students who will graduate summa cum laude, 91 magna cum laude and 176 cum laude honorees.
 
By sport, here are the student-athletes completing their degrees in December 2022:

Baseball (4): Jake Hausmann (General Business); Walker Jenkins (M.P.S. Sports Management / Sports Management Graduate Certificate); Riyan Rodriguez (M.N.A.S. Biology); David Senn (Corporate and Investment Finance)*
 
Beach Volleyball (1): Abbi Walters (Social Work)

Football (11): Arian Bhat (Communication Studies); Kobe Brandt (Criminology); Andrew Cunningham (General Studies); Ian Fitzgerald (Advertising & Promotion); Kevon Latulas (Sociology); Ferrin Manuleleua (General Studies); Grant Martin (M.B.A. Business Administration); Jose Pizano (Economics); Matt Platko (M.A.T. Teaching); Lorenzo Thomas (Sociology); Mike Warmack (Administrative Management)    

Men's Basketball (1): Kabir Mohammed (M.S. Project Management)

Men's Soccer (5): Aadne Bruseth (Sport & Park Administration)*; Jack Denton (Exercise & Movement Science)**; Giacomo Sala (International Business Administration)***; Kian Yari (Economics)**; Nicolo Mulatero (M.B.A. Business Administration)

Men's Swimming & Diving (2): Arthur Cury (Administrative Management)*; Tyler Lewis (Cybersecurity)*

Softball (5): Gracie Johnston (Entertainment Management); Abi LaValley (Psychology)***; Meagan McCorkell (Marketing Management)*; Kelly Metter (M.B.A. Business Administration / Management (Graduate Certificate); Kat Taylor (Entertainment Management)***

Volleyball (2): Gerri Idos (M.S. Physician Assistant Studies); Leah Vokolek (Nursing)**

Women's Basketball (1): Sydney Manning (M.S. Information Technology)

Women's Swimming & Diving (1): Anna Miller (M.B.A. Business Administration / Leadership Graduate Certificate)

Women's Track & Field (3): Timeka Jordan (M.P.S. Sports Management / Sports Management Graduate Certificate; Lillie Kaempfe (Forensic Child Psychology Graduate Certificate; Olivia Richards (Criminology / Criminal Investigation Undergraduate Certificate)***

*cum laude
**magna cum laude
***summa cum laude