SPRINGFIELD -- A total of 96 current and former Missouri State University student-athletes will participate in the university's commencement ceremonies Friday at Great Southern Bank Arena on the Springfield campus. These student-athletes have completed, or will be completing, their undergraduate and post-graduate requirements this spring and summer.
 
For the seventh straight year, students who are on track to complete their degrees during the summer term will also be recognized with the spring graduating class.
 
Including 79 student-athletes designated as spring graduates and 17 summer graduates, a total of 96 Bears will be "turning pro" in their various fields of study this week.
 
A total of 133 Missouri State student-athletes will have completed their degrees during the 2023-24 academic year. That total includes 37 individuals who finished their program requirements in December of 2023 at the conclusion of the fall term.
 
The MSU spring student-athlete class of 79 graduates matches the third-largest on record, while the 133 total for the academic year is the fifth-highest total of graduating student-athletes.
 
The top commencement classes for Missouri State Athletics are now: May 2021 (82), May 2017 (81), May 2023 (79), May 2024 (79), May 2019 (79), May 2020 (75), May 2015 (73), May 2018 (71), May 2006 (64), and May 2022 (64).
 
Over the last 10 years, MSU commencement exercises have seen 1,277 student-athletes earn degrees, while 525 former Bears have graduated over the past four years alone. This year also marks the 11th consecutive academic year with more than 100 graduating student-athletes.
 
Football (19), women's track & field/cross country (15), women's swimming & diving (14) and women's soccer (7) paced all sports in terms of individual graduates for the 2024 spring and summer class.
 
The 2024 spring and summer commencement list also includes 31 MSU student-athletes graduating with academic honors and 26 earning post-graduate degrees.
 
Eight student-athletes earned the top academic honor of summa cum laude (###) with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.90 or higher, including: Kelsey Boyce (women's swimming & diving), Alyssa Buchheit (women's soccer), Natalie Clayton (women's track & field), Abby Couch (women's soccer), Katrine Jessen (women's basketball), Samantha Roemer (women's swimming & diving), Nicholas Schuster (men's swimming & diving) and Kelly Sego (women's swimming & diving). Buchheit and Clayton will also be recognized for their work with a more rigorous curriculum in Missouri State's Honors College.
 
Eleven student-athletes compiled GPAs in the 3.75-3.89 range to earn magna cum laude (##) distinction: Camielle Day (women's soccer), Lily DeSpain (women's swimming & diving), Mary Houston (women's tennis), AJ Huskey (men's swimming & diving), Cabrini Johnson (women's swimming & diving), Lindsay Lahr (volleyball), Anna Lucas (women's swimming & diving), Katie Montgomery (women's soccer), Kayla Pfitzner (women's golf), Brooke Plessner (beach volleyball) and Katie Wemhoener (volleyball).
 
Twelve additional student-athletes finished with GPAs in the 3.50 to 3.74 range to garner cum laude (#) laurels, including: Kate Anderson (women's track & field), Deja Bickers (volleyball), Gracie English (women's soccer), Grant Goodson (football), Iva Halacheval (volleyball), Bruno Miranda Guerra (men's swimming & diving), Dylan Moffatt (men's swimming & diving), Michael Peck (men's soccer), Alessia Puleo (women's swimming & diving), Carly Raunig (women's soccer), Eric Schuessler (men's golf) and Riley Sherron (women's soccer).
 
All told, Missouri State University will confer a total of 3,078 degrees during ceremonies at Great Southern Bank Arena on Friday, including 2,222 bachelor's degrees, 724 master's degrees, 106 doctorate degrees and 26 specialist degrees. Beyond the standard expectations, the university will recognize 73 students for their work with a more rigorous curriculum in Missouri State's Honors College. The university will recognize 235 students who will graduate summa cum laude, 273 who will graduate magna cum laude, and 450 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. Missouri State Athletics Hall of Famer Dr. Brian Mahaffey will deliver the commencement address at the 9 a.m. ceremony.
   
 
By sport, here are Missouri State's spring and summer 2024 graduating student-athletes:
 
Baseball (6): Cam Cratic (M.P.S. Professional Studies, Sports Management Graduate Certificate; Hunter Day (General Studies); Cody Kelly (General Business); Dylan Leach (Individualized Studies Graduate Certificate); Izzy Lopez* (General Business); Stephen Schissler (Professional Studies Graduate Certificate).
 
Beach Volleyball (3): Addison Crider (Geology, Geologic Foundations Certificate); Olivia Muriel* (M.P.H. Public Heath); Brooke Plessner (Exercise & Movement Science, Psychology)##.
 
Football (19): Khaled Alasad (General Studies); Kaunor Ashley (General Business); Keenan Berry (Psychology); Remy Bilodeau* (M.S. Geology); Caleb Blake* (General Studies); Jahiel Blue-Smith (General Studies); Grant Burkett (Individualized Studies Graduate Certificate); Donovan Clark (Communication Studies); Nate Davis* (Criminology and Criminal Justice); Reece Dawson (Audiology); Grant Goodson (Construction Management)#; Spencer Grosz (Sport & Park Administration); PJ Hall (Marketing Management); Kilifi Leaaetoa* (General Studies); Celdon Manning (Health Professions Administrative Leadership Graduate Certificate); Jamal McMurrin* (Journalism); Stetson Moore* (M.P.S. Professional Studies); Hunter Wood (History); Jacardia Wright (Sociology).
 
Men's Basketball (4): Raphe Ayres* (Corporate & Investment Finance); Jake Branham (Administrative Management); Dawson Carper (M.P.S. Professional Studies, Sports Management Graduate Certificate); Donovan Clay* (General Studies).
 
Men's Golf (1): Eric Schuessler (General Business)#
 
Men's Soccer (6): Gianluca Fiorini (Sports Medicine); Zack Hargreaves (M.B.A. Business Administration,  Management Graduate Certificate); Jonathan Kliewer (Materials Physics); Connor Langan (M.B.A. Business Administration); Michael Peck (Economics)#; Kian Yari* (M.P.S. Professional Studies).
 
Men's Swimming & Diving (5): Robert Hill* (Administrative Management); AJ Huskey (Construction Management)##; Bruno Miranda Guerra* (Sociology, Modern Language, Basic Spanish Communication Certificate, Hispanic Studies Certificate, Social Science Research Certificate)#; Dylan Moffatt (Nutrition and Dietetics, Sports Nutrition Certificate, Foundations of Nutrition Certificate)#; Nicholas Schuster (Nursing)###.
 
Women's Basketball (1): Katrine Jessen (Economics)###.
 
Women's Golf (2): Kayla Pfitzner (Marketing Management)##; Johanna Wollenhaupt (M.S. Project Management).
 
Softball (5): Shelby Houchlei (Exercise & Movement Science); Olivia Krehbiel$$ (Leadership Graduate Certificate); Emily Shipman (General Studies); Kat Taylor (M.B.A. Business Administration); Ashton Thomas* (M.S. Behavior Analysis and Therapy)
 
Women's Soccer (7): Alyssa Buchheit (Cell & Molecular Biology, Health Sciences Certificate), Human Genetics and Genomics Certificate)###HC; Abby Couch (Speech-Language Pathology, Basic Spanish Communication Certificate)###; Camielle Day (Sports Medicine)##; Gracie English (Exercise & Movement Science)#; Katie Montgomery (Accounting)##; Carly Raunig (Administrative Management)#; Riley Sherron (Exercise & Movement Science)#
 
Women's Swimming & Diving (14): Katie Lindeman Apfel (M.S.W. Social Work); Kelsey Boyce (International Business Administration)###; Lily DeSpain (Cell & Molecular Biology)##; Emma Haugland-Mackey* (Entertainment Management); Cabrini Johnson (Psychology)##; Ainsley Krug (M.B.A. Business Administration); Anika Lam (Nursing, Foundations of Nutrition Certificate); Anna Lucas (Nursing)##; Marina Ortega Bonilla (Psychology); Alessia Puleo (Interior Design)#; Samantha Roemer (Health Services, Foundations of Interprofessional Education in Health Care Certificate, Community Health Certificate)###; Kelly Sego (Financial Planning)###; Ulyana Zubina (Fashion Merchandising); Yuliya Zubina (Marketing Management).
 
Women's Tennis (2): Diana Cabrera (M.B.A. Business Administration, Information Technology Graduate Certificate, Fintech Graduate Certificate); Mary Houston (English Education)##.
 
Women's Track & Field / Cross Country (15): Kate Anderson (Horticulture)#; A'Mira Askew (Health Services, Foundations of Interprofessional Education in Health Care Certificate); Chicago Bains (M.P.S. Professional Studies, Sports Management Graduate Certificate); Natalie Clayton (Nutrition and Dietetics, Foundations of Nutrition Certificate), Health Sciences Certificate)###HC; Jasmine Crawford (D.P.T. Physical Therapy); Rochelle Etienne (M.S. Nutrition and Dietetics, Public Health Core Graduate Certificate); Hayden Gray (Psychology); Kiesha Hayes (M.P.S. Professional Studies, Screenwriting for TV & Film Graduate Certificate); Janee King (Animal Science); Riley Lourens (M.B.A. Business Administration (M.B.A.), Management Graduate Certificate); Mia McLain (Speech-Language Pathology: Preparation for Graduate Study Graduate Certificate; Grace Murphy* (Hospitality Leadership); Margo Nea (Marketing Management); Nakaja  Weaver (Social Science Research Certificate and Individualized Studies Graduate Certificate$.
 
Volleyball (6): Deja Bickers (Speech-Language Pathology)#; Iva Halacheva (Sport & Park Administration)#; Lindsay Lahr (Psychology)##; Caly Otec (Speech-Language Pathology); Teagan Polcovich* (Exercise & Movement Science); Katie Wemhoener (Graphic Design)##.
 
 
 
KEY
### Summa Cum Laude
## Magna Cum Laude
# Cum Laude
* Summer graduate (Summer commencement ceremonies were eliminated in 2018)
$$ *previously earned M.B.A. degree and graduate certificate from MSU
$ *previously earned B.S. degree and undergraduate certificate from MSU