June 30, 2004
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue Division of Intercollegiate Athletics has announced the student-athlete recipients of three prestigious year-end awards named for Red Mackey, the Durham Brothers and Ben Korschot.
Austin Parkinson, Brad Harper and Garth Bringman have been named this year's recipients of the Red Mackey Award.
The Red Mackey Award is a one-year scholarship given annually to three student-athletes in the Purdue Division of Intercollegiate Athletics who have exhausted their athletic eligibility but want to continue their education. The athlete can use the award to complete his or her undergraduate degree or attend graduate school. One individual is nominated by his or her peers in each sport. The 18 nominees then are then voted on by a panel of five athletics department administrators, which selects the three winners based upon their demonstration of leadership on the playing field and in the community, as well as growth during the season and support for teammates.
Parkinson, a guard on the men's basketball team from Kokomo, Ind., appeared in all 32 games his freshman year and ranked second on the squad with 83 assists. During his sophomore season, Parkinson appeared in 29 games with 21 starts, led the team in assists, ranked second in steals, and earned the team's Doc Combs Play Hard and the Bob King Assist awards. In his junior season he ranked third in assists and earned the team's Courage Award for most charges taken. As a senior in 2003-04, Parkinson recorded 119 assists in 31 games.
Harper, a 157-pound wrestler from Mishawaka, Ind., posted a 15-11 record during his freshman season. He was a NCAA qualifier his sophomore season, with a 23-11-1 record. Harper completed his junior season with a 16-8 record, finishing second at both the Ashland Open and Mat Town Invitational. As a senior, Harper placed second at the Harris Auto Center Open and posted a season record of 19-11. He finished his career with a record of 73-41.
Bringman, a swimmer from Columbus, Ind., started out his career at Purdue during the 2000-01 season. He swam the Boilermakers' second-fastest time in the 1,650 free to place 21st at Big Ten's in 15:49.34. As a sophomore, Bringman earned Academic All-Big Ten honors. Bringman specialized in the individual medley and distance free events during the 2003-04 season, and placed 13th in the 400 IM and 12th in the 1,650 free at the Big Ten Championships.
The 2003-04 Durham Brothers Award went to the following: sophomore Erica Chandler, swimming; junior Dustin Cone, golf; junior Jon Goldsberry, football; junior Emily Heikes, basketball; sophomore Tricia Lilley, softball; junior Louis Paul, swimming; sophomore Paul Rose, tennis; sophomore Onnarin Sattayabanphot, golf; sophomore David Teague, basketball; and junior Leah Wischmeier, volleyball.
The Durham Brothers Award is presented to student-athletes who have exemplified leadership to their teammates both on and off the playing field through their positive attitude, strong work ethic and overall commitment to excellence.
The Durham Brothers Award is named for G. Robert "Bull" Durham and John G. Durham, D.D.S. Bull Durham graduated from Purdue's School of Science in 1951. He is the current chairman and CEO of Walter Industries and serves on several boards of directors, including Homestake Mining, Finova Group, and Mutual Life of New York. He was named Financial World's 1987 CEO of the Year and Copper Club's 1988 Man of the Year.
John Durham graduated from Purdue's School of Science in 1952, the same year he won the Big Ten Medal of Honor. He earned his D.D.S. degree in 1956 from Washington University. He currently is a general dentist in private practice and assistant professor of clinical dentistry at Washington University. He formerly served as the director of the Purdue Alumni Association and was a trustee of the Purdue Alumni Foundation.
Jeff Bennett, Andrew Ford and Katie Absher received the Ben Korschot Perseverance Award.
The Ben Korschot Perseverance Award is awarded to Purdue student-athletes who exemplify the spirit of determination that makes walkons successful. A committee made up of Intercollegiate Athletics staff chooses the honorees based on academic record, on-field performance, and extracurricular activities. Student-athletes who started their careers as walkons before receiving an athletic scholarship and who are preparing for their final year of eligibility at Purdue are eligible for the honor.
Bennett, a tight end from Evansville, Ind., joined the football team as a walkon in 2001. He appeared in four games during the 2002 season, and appeared in 10 games in the 2003 campaign. Bennett is a junior and is majoring in chemistry.
Ford, a guard for the men's basketball team, was an Academic All-Big Ten selection in the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons. During the 2003-04 season he appeared in 18 games. A native of West Lafayette, Ind., Ford is a junior and is majoring in organizational leadership and supervision.
Absher, a softball outfielder from Puyallup Wash., appeared mainly as a pinch runner in 45 games during the 2002 season. In 2003 she was an Academic All-Big Ten honoree, played in 50 games, and was named the team's Most Improved Player. She appeared in 57 games with 54 starts in 2004.
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