SPRINGFIELD -- A total of 79 current and former Missouri State University student-athletes will complete their undergraduate and post-graduate requirements this week and participate in the university's spring commencement ceremonies on Friday at Great Southern Bank Arena.
 
For the fifth straight year, students who are on track to complete their degrees during the summer 2022 term may also be recognized with the spring graduating class. Including 64 student-athletes designated as spring graduates and 15 summer graduates, a total of 79 Bears will be "turning pro" in their various fields of study this week.
 
During the 2021-22 academic year, a total of 110 Missouri State student-athletes will have completed their degrees. That total includes 31 individuals who finished their program requirements in December of 2021 at the conclusion of the fall term.
 
Over the last 10 years, MSU commencement exercises have seen 1,184 student-athletes earn degrees, while 369 former Bears have graduated over the past three years alone. This marks the eighth 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 2022 (64), May 2016 (63), May 2004 (61), May 2009 (61).
 
Football (13), women's basketball (8) and women's swimming and diving (8) paced all sports in terms of individual graduates for the 2022 spring and summer class.
 
The 2022 spring and summer commencement list also includes 19 MSU student-athletes graduating with academic honors and 28 earning post-graduate degrees.
 
Six student-athletes earned the top academic honor of summa cum laude (###) with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.90 or higher, including: Abby Cavaiani (women's golf), Olivia Krehbiel (softball), Payton Minnis (softball), Sofia Orlando (volleyball), Mara Presot (tennis), Hailey Rissinger (women's swimming and diving).
 
Three student-athletes compiled GPAs in the 3.75-3.89 range to earn magna cum laude (##) distinction: Cam Cratic (baseball), Sierra Fury (women's soccer), Alex Thorson (women's swimming and diving).
 
Ten additional student-athletes finished with GPAs in the 3.50 to 3.74 range to garner cum laude (#) laurels, including: Adriana Avila (women's swimming and diving), Jacqueline Baetz (women's soccer), Bya Bhinhar (women's basketball), Edna Dar (track and field), Rochelle Etienne (track and field), Kellie Fischer (women's swimming and diving), Lillie Kaempfe (track and field), Sydney Manning (women's basketball), Chloe Nelson (women's swimming and diving), Sydney Wilson (women's basketball).

Missouri State University will confer a total of 2,880 degrees during ceremonies at Great Southern Bank Arena on Friday, including 2,083 bachelor's degrees, 663 master's degrees, 110 doctorate degrees and 24 specialist degrees. Beyond the standard expectations, the university will recognize 62 students for their work with a more rigorous curriculum in Missouri State's Honors College. The university will recognize 222 students who will graduate summa cum laude, 239 who will graduate magna cum laude, and 426 who will graduate cum laude.

Ceremonies will take place at 9 a.m., 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. at Great Southern Bank Arena on the Springfield campus.
   
  
By sport, here are Missouri State's spring and summer 2021 graduating student-athletes:

Baseball (6): Cam Cratic ## (Sociology), Mason Hull (Risk Management & Insurance), Logan Thomazin * (General Business), Grant Wood (General Business; Financial Awareness Undergraduate Certificate), Dennis Yingling * (General Business), Trey Ziegenbein (Construction Management).

Beach Volleyball (2): Caroline Derryberry (Accountancy MAcc), Parker McAllen * (Sales Management).

Field Hockey (1): Emily Tran (Physical Therapy D.P.T.).

Football (13): Ikenna Ahumibe (General Studies), Remy Bilodeau * (Geology), Gerard Harker (Physical Therapy D.P.T.), Brock Hughes (Health Administration M.H.A.), Peyton Huslig (Health Administration Graduate Certificate; Public Health Core Graduate Certificate), Andrew Jordan (Nurse Anesthesia Practice D.N.A.P.), Parker Lacina * (Supply Chain Management), Parker Powell (Supply Chain Management), Ethan Swanegan (Communication Studies), Ron Tiavaasue (General Studies), Tylar Wiltz (Biology), Antwan Woods (Sports Management M.P.S.; Sports Management Graduate Certificate), Marquis Yarbrough (Criminology).

Men's Basketball (5): Dawson Carper (Political Science), Keaton Hervey (Economics), Ryan Kreklow (Sports Management M.P.S.; Sports Management Graduate Certificate), Gaige Prim (General Studies), Darian Scott (Business Administration M.B.A.)

Men's Golf (2): Crimson Callahan (Administrative Management), Alex Locke * (Project Management M.S.).

Men's Soccer (4): Michael Creek    (Business Administration M.B.A.), Harry Lewis (Sports Management M.P.S.; Sports Management Graduate Certificate; Individualized Studies Graduate Certificate), Will Osgathorpe (Intercultural Communication), Drew Schoch (Advertising & Promotion).

Men's Swimming & Diving (3): Bryce Blattner (Sports Management M.P.S.; Sports Management Graduate Certificate), Trevor Fischer (Sales Management), Michael Hampel * (Sports Management M.P.S.; Sports Management Graduate Certificate).

Softball (5): Steffany Dickerson * (Sport & Park Administration), Madison Hunsaker * (Business Administration M.B.A.; Marketing Graduate Certificate), Olivia Krehbiel ### (Sales Management), Payton Minnis ### (Financial Planning), Ashton Thomas (Criminology; Psychology).

Volleyball (5): Laynie Dake Oehlschlager (Speech-Language Pathology M.S.), Sam Brinkmann (Accountancy MAcc), Ashley Dudenhoeffer (Business Administration M.B.A.), Sofia Orlando ### (Cell & Molecular Biology), Natalie Thomas (Political Science).

Women's Basketball (8): Mya Bhinhar # (Chemistry), Brice Calip (Sports Management M.P.S.; Sports Management Graduate Certificate), Jasmine Franklin (Psychology), Abby Hipp * (Business Administration M.B.A.; Marketing Graduate Certificate), Abi Jackson (Psychology), Sydney Manning # (Business Analysis), 
Mariah White * (Educational Technology M.S.E.D.; Online Teaching and Learning Graduate Certificate), Sydney Wilson #    (General Business).

Women's Golf (3): Abby Cavaiani ### (Administrative Management), Faith Hopkins (Marketing Research), Brooke Newell (Agriculture M.S.).

Women's Soccer (6): Jacqueline Baetz # (Exercise & Movement Science; Foundations of Nutrition Undergraduate Certificate), Anna Durnin * (Business Administration M.B.A.; Marketing Graduate Certificate; Leadership Graduate Certificate); Sierra Fury ## (Cell & Molecular Biology; Health Sciences Undergraduate Certificate), Kennady Orlick (Psychology), Kara Privitera (Public Relations), Kayla Seabaugh (Writing M.A.).

Women's Swimming & Diving (8): Adriana Avila # (Financial Planning), Allison Brierly * (Conflict and Interpersonal Communication), Kellie Fischer # (Exercise & Movement Science), Libby Howell (General Studies), Chloe Nelson *# (Fashion Merchandising), Sydney Radloff (Psychology), Hailey Rissinger *### (General Studies), Alex Thorson ## (Accounting).

Women's Tennis (2): Alye Darter (Speech-Language Pathology M.S.), Mara Presot ### (Hospitality Leadership; Spanish for Professions Undergraduate Certificate).

Women's Track & Field (6): Grace Breiten (Early Childhood Special Education M.S.E.D.), Edna Dar # (Criminology), Rochelle Etienne # (Nutrition and Dietetics; Foundations of Nutrition Undergraduate Certificate; Cultural Competence in International Nutrition Undergraduate Certificate), Lillie Kaempfe # (Psychology), Tamia Rayford (Professional Studies Graduate Certficate), Sidne Williamson (Sports Management M.P.S.; Sports Management Graduate Certificate).



KEY
### Summa Cum Laude
## Magna Cum Laude
# Cum Laude
* Summer graduate (Summer commencement ceremonies were eliminated in 2018)