May 28, 2014
2013-14 Academic All-Big Ten Lists: Fall | Winter
ROSEMONT, Ill. -- Seventy-nine Purdue student-athletes received Academic All-Big Ten recognition as the conference office announced its lists of spring honorees on Wednesday. For the 2013-14 school year, the Boilermakers garnered 186 Academic All-Big Ten awards.
To be eligible for Academic All-Big Ten honors, student-athletes must be letterwinners who are in at least their second academic year at their institution and carry a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher.
The conference office will also present the Distinguished Scholar Award in July. Student-athletes eligible for the Distinguished Scholar Award must be letterwinners in at least their second year in residence at their institution. Qualifying student-athletes must have earned a GPA of 3.7 or higher for the current academic year, excluding summer school. The Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Award was established by conference Faculty Representatives as an addition to the conference's Academic All-Big Ten program.
Track and field is included among the spring honorees even though the sport competes in championship seasons in the winter and spring. Led by the 30 honorees from the women's team, the Purdue track and field program had 48 Academic All-Big Ten student-athletes this year. Many of those 48 Boilers are competing this week at the NCAA East Preliminary Round Regionals in Jacksonville, Fla., where they will look to punch their tickets to the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Led by First Team Academic All-America honoree and the program's new all-time hits leader Andie Varsho, Purdue softball had 14 of its 18 players eligible for Academic All-Big Ten recognition make the list. Ashley Burkhardt, Tori Chiodo, Lilly Fecho, Danielle Fletcher and Varsho were All-Big Ten and NFCA All-Midwest Region performers on the field as well.
Adam Schenk, an All-Big Ten and All-Midwest Region honoree, was men's golf's top scorer this season, helping the Boilermakers qualify for the NCAA Championships for the first time since 2005. Women's golfer Aurora Kan, a First Team All-Big Ten performer, was an individual qualifier for the NCAA Central Region as the Boilers' top player.
Both Purdue tennis teams qualified for the NCAA Championships this year and each had four Academic All-Big Ten honorees among its rosters. Seniors Mark Kovacs (an All-Big Ten performer) and Szymon Tatarczyk led the way for the men, whom achieved their highest ranking in program history this year. Mara Schmidt was the women's No. 1 player for much of the season.
Dani Bunch is an 11-time medalist (all gold and silver) at Big Ten Championships meets. She won the Big Ten title in the women's weight throw during the indoor season and garnered All-America acclaim by finishing among the top five in both throwing events at the Indoor National Championships.
Like Bunch, Blair Doney (steeplechase), Caleb Fricke (discus), Matt McClintock (3,000 and 5,000 meters), Vanessa McLeod (800 meters), Kari Shoolbraid (800 meters) are also individual school record holders for the track and field teams.
Purdue baseball's Gavin Downs was part of the weekend rotation for the entirety of the Big Ten season this year. Mike Lutz became only the third pitcher in program history to appear in 30 games.
Purdue's Spring 2014 Academic All-Big Ten honorees
Baseball (6)
Jack Amaro
Gavin Downs
Joe Eichmann
Mike Lutz
Steve Maniago
Connor Podkul
Men's Golf (2)
Justin Cho
Adam Schenk
Women's Golf (1)
Aurora Kan
Softball (14)
Paris Andrew
Ashley Burkhardt
Tori Chiodo
Lilly Fecho
Danielle Fletcher
Mary Gooding
Alyssa Koorsen
Maia Monchek
Lexy Moore
CJ Parsons
MaryBeth Pavlick
Sydney Pencek
Lindsey Rains
Andie Varsho
Men's Tennis (4)
Diego Acosta
Aaron Dujovne
Mark Kovacs
Szymon Tatarczyk
Women's Tennis (4)
Claudia Escribens
Krisztina Kapitany
Mara Schmidt
Lynda Xepoleas
Men's Track & Field (18)
Chris Arvia
Mario Cosey
Eric Dean
Caleb Fricke
Kevin Griffith
Dillon Hinen
Sam Hoffman
Caleb Kerr
Brett Klosterhoff
Harlow Ladd
Matthew McClintock
Robert Pollock
Caleb Reiff
John Ribeiro
Stephen Romanyk
Tate Schienbein
Stephen Schulz
Steven Stoot
Women's Track & Field (30)
Autumn Beachy
Dani Bunch
Jenny Caddick
Linsey Daluga
Deserae Diedrich
Blair Doney
Amanda Downey
Kelly Fields
Kristin Fritts
Kathryn Graf
Jessica Harter
Katie Hoevet
Karen Jensen
Aarin Jones
Taylor Jones
Kendria Kelly-Taylor
Brooke Kline
Alisha Kuhlenhoelter
Sharise Lund
Laura Maibuecher
Vanessa McLeod
Margaret O'Brien
Alexandra Parks
Dana Payonk
Michelle Potter
Kari Shoolbraid
BreAnna Smith
Taylor Smith
Whitney Trujillo
Twyla Winfrey