ROSEMONT, Ill. – A department-record 85 student-athletes earned Big Ten Distinguished Scholar recognition for their academic excellence during the 2020-21 school year as Purdue had a record total of honorees for the second year in a row.
Student-athletes across the conference were recognized as Big Ten Distinguished Scholars for achieving grade-point averages of 3.70 and better. Twenty of the Boilermakers' 85 honorees (24%) compiled flawless 4.0 GPAs during the 2020-21 school year. Ten of Purdue's teams had at least one student-athlete with a 4.0.
May graduate Dale Williams (swimming & diving) as well as Kat Mueller (swimming & diving) and Ashley Witucki (soccer) have maintained perfect 4.0 GPAs during their careers at Purdue. Rachel Anderson (cross country and track & field), Andre Suzanne (tennis) and Emma Terwilliger (volleyball) are also straight-A students for their careers.
Williams headlines a group of 20 Boilermakers that were Big Ten Distinguished Scholars as well as graduates during the 2020-21 school year.
Meanwhile, 17 student-athletes were recognized as Big Ten Distinguished Scholars for at least the third time in their careers. That group is headlined by four-time honorees Rebecca Coan (cross country and track & field) and Emily Converse (swimming & diving).
Big Ten Faculty Representatives established the Distinguished Scholar award in 2008 to supplement the Academic All-Big Ten program. Distinguished Scholar recipients must have earned Academic All-Big Ten recognition in the previous academic year, must have been enrolled full time at the institution for the entire previous academic year (two semesters or three quarters) and earned a minimum GPA of 3.70 during the previous academic year, excluding any summer grades. The Academic All-Big Ten threshold is a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher for a student's academic career.
Purdue also had a record 256 student-athletes earn Academic All-Big Ten honors during the 2020-21 school year – 96 in the fall, 68 in the winter and 92 in the spring.
BIG TEN DISTINGUISHED SCHOLAR NOTABLES
• Women's swimming & diving had a Purdue-best 16 student-athletes honored as Big Ten Distinguished Scholars this year. Soccer was close behind with 14 honorees while having a slightly smaller roster.
• Brandon Loschiavo was the NCAA and Big Ten champion in platform diving and also an Olympic qualifier in the event for Team USA.
• Swimmer Nikola Aćin also qualified for the Olympic Games with Serbia's 4x100 freestyle relay team.
• Softball's Rachel Becker led the Big Ten and set a Purdue record with a .479 batting average. She was named Academic All-District.
• Baseball's Jackson Smeltz was named Academic All-District and also the recipient of the Brady Comeback Scholarship Award from Methodist Sports Medicine.
• Volleyball's Marissa Hornung was Purdue's female recipient of the Big Ten Outstanding Sportsmanship award.
• Soccer's Julia Ware was selected to the NCAA Competition Oversight Committee in October.
• Tamara Farquhar was one of only three women's basketball players in the conference to earn Big Ten Distinguished Scholar honors while compiling a 4.0 GPA for 2020-21.
FULL LIST OF PURDUE'S 2020-21 BIG TEN DISTINGUISHED SCHOLARS
Names in bold earned 4.0 GPAs this school year
Years in parentheses are previous years they were also recognized
BASEBALL (2)
• Tanner Haston (2020) – Health Science Preprofessional (Pre-Dentistry)
• Jackson Smeltz – Agribusiness Management
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL (3)
• Tamara Farquhar (2020, 2019) – Psychological Sciences
• Cassidy Hardin (2020) – Biochemistry
• Roxane Makolo – Public Relations & Strategic Communcations
MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY AND TRACK & FIELD (8)
• Curt Eckstein – Mechanical Engineering
• Kyle Griffith – Civil Engineering
• Ian Hunter – Computer Science / Actuarial Science / Applied Statistics
• Bryce Hutchinson – Chemical Engineering
• John Pieper (2020) – Environmental & Ecological Engineering
• Blake Selm (2020) – Chemical Engineering
• Ian Shaw – Environmental Geoscience
• William White – Computer Science
WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY AND TRACK & FIELD (12)
• Lindsay Absher – Interior Design
• Rachel Anderson (2020, 2019) – Health Science Preprofessional (Pre-Physician's Assistant)
• Jessica Bray – Health Science Preprofessional (Pre-Med)
• Megan Casey – Environmental & Natural Resources Engineering
• Rebecca Coan (2020, 2019, 2018) – Health Science Preprofessional (Pre-Med)
• Emma Keesling – Food & Biological Process Engineering
• Jaden Mattox – Management
• Taylor Mortensen (2020, 2019) – Animal Science
• Ella Robinson – Soil & Water Sciences
• Tessa Sheets (2020, 2019) – Animal Sciences
• Megan Slamkowski (2020, 2019) – Kinesiology / Psychological Sciences
• Emma Tate – Plant Science
FOOTBALL (4)
• Jack Cravaack – Selling & Sales Management
• Zander Horvath (2020, 2019) – Construction Management
• Jack Plummer (2020) – General Management
• Brooks Royal – Agricultural Systems Management
MEN'S GOLF (1)
• Joe Weiler (2020, 2019) – Industrial Engineering
SOCCER (14)
• Marisa Bova – Psychological Sciences / Law & Society
• Sydney Duarte – Nursing
• Skylar Giacobetti – Health Science Preprofessional (Pre-Med)
• Maya Lambert (2020, 2019) – Accounting
• Paige Liebel (2020) – Electrical Engineering
• Lexi Marks – Civil Engineering
• Hannah Melchiorre (2020, 2019) – Biology
• Aly Mielke (2020) – Kinesiology
• Ally Mussallem – Nursing
• Sydney Sparks – Marketing
• Emma Tompkins – Brain & Behavioral Sciences
• Grace Walsh – Neurobiology & Physiology
• Julia Ware (2020) – Law & Society
• Ashley Witucki – Health Science Preprofessional (Pre-Med)
SOFTBALL (4)
• Rachel Becker – Chemical Engineering
• Kendall Chase (2020) – Health Science Preprofessional (Pre-Med)
• Kaeley Hallada (2020) – Elementary Education
• Kasey Wilhoit – Agronomy, Crop & Soial Management
MEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING (9)
• Nikola Aćin – Kinesiology
• Ben Bramley (2020) – Finance
• Kal Findley – Industrial Engineering
• Gabi Gomez Treig (2020) – Finance / Accounting
• Ryan Hrosik – Marketing
• Ryan Lawrence – Mechanical Engineering
• Brandon Loschiavo – Mass Communication
• Dale Williams (2020, 2019) – Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering
• Skyler Younkin – General Management
WOMEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING (16)
• Caylee Casbon (2020, 2019) – Kinesiology
• Emily Converse (2020, 2019, 2018) – Special Education / Elementary Education
• Katie Hughes (2020, 2019) – Kinesiology
• McKenna Jule (2020) – Health Science Preprofessional (Pre-Med)
• Evan King (2020) – Planetary Sciences / Geology & Geophysics
• Riley Kishman (2020, 2019) – Health Science Preprofessional (Pre-Physical Therapy)
• Sylvia Kobylak – Kinesiology
• Kelsey Macaddino (2020) – Biomedical Engineering
• Maggie Merriman (2020) – Human Services
• Kat Mueller – Social Studies Education
• Natalie Myers (2020, 2019) – Ecology, Evolution & Environmental Biology
• Angela Pan (2020, 2019) – Psychological Sciences
• Maycey Vieta – Media & Mass Communication
• Leanna Wall – Chemical Engineering
• Tessa Wrightson (2020) – Health Science Preprofessional (Pre-Med)
• Rachel Young – Business Communication
MEN'S TENNIS (1)
• Andre Suzanne – Physics
WOMEN'S TENNIS (2)
• Zala Dovnik (2020) – Industrial Management, Financial Engineering
• Zeynep Naz Ozturk – Finance
VOLLEYBALL (6)
• Hayley Bush (2020) – Agribusiness, Agricultural Finance
• Maddy Chinn – Health Science Preprofessional (Pre-Dentistry)
• Emma Ellis – Animal Sciences
• Marissa Hornung (2020) – Human Resource Development
• Megan Renner – Health Science Preprofessional (Pre-Physician's Assistant)
• Emma Terwilliger (2020) – Neurobiology & Physiology / Health & Disease
WRESTLING (3)
• Parker Filius – Construction Management
• Max Lyon – Industrial Management, Operations & Supply Chain Management
• Ethan Smiley (2020) – Plant Science
Student-athletes across the conference were recognized as Big Ten Distinguished Scholars for achieving grade-point averages of 3.70 and better. Twenty of the Boilermakers' 85 honorees (24%) compiled flawless 4.0 GPAs during the 2020-21 school year. Ten of Purdue's teams had at least one student-athlete with a 4.0.
May graduate Dale Williams (swimming & diving) as well as Kat Mueller (swimming & diving) and Ashley Witucki (soccer) have maintained perfect 4.0 GPAs during their careers at Purdue. Rachel Anderson (cross country and track & field), Andre Suzanne (tennis) and Emma Terwilliger (volleyball) are also straight-A students for their careers.
Williams headlines a group of 20 Boilermakers that were Big Ten Distinguished Scholars as well as graduates during the 2020-21 school year.
Meanwhile, 17 student-athletes were recognized as Big Ten Distinguished Scholars for at least the third time in their careers. That group is headlined by four-time honorees Rebecca Coan (cross country and track & field) and Emily Converse (swimming & diving).
| 3-TIME BIG TEN DISTINGUISHED SCHOLARS Seniors to be recognized at least 3 times |
|
| WOMEN'S BASKETBALL • Tamara Farquhar WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY / TRACK & FIELD • Rachel Anderson • Rebecca Coan (4x) • Taylor Mortensen • Tessa Sheets • Megan Slamkowski FOOTBALL • Zander Horvath MEN'S GOLF • Joe Weiler |
SOCCER • Maya Lambert • Hannah Melchiorre MEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING • Dale Williams WOMEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING • Caylee Casbon • Emily Converse (4x) • Katie Hughes • Riley Kishman • Natalie Myers • Angela Pan |
Big Ten Faculty Representatives established the Distinguished Scholar award in 2008 to supplement the Academic All-Big Ten program. Distinguished Scholar recipients must have earned Academic All-Big Ten recognition in the previous academic year, must have been enrolled full time at the institution for the entire previous academic year (two semesters or three quarters) and earned a minimum GPA of 3.70 during the previous academic year, excluding any summer grades. The Academic All-Big Ten threshold is a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher for a student's academic career.
Purdue also had a record 256 student-athletes earn Academic All-Big Ten honors during the 2020-21 school year – 96 in the fall, 68 in the winter and 92 in the spring.
BIG TEN DISTINGUISHED SCHOLAR NOTABLES
• Women's swimming & diving had a Purdue-best 16 student-athletes honored as Big Ten Distinguished Scholars this year. Soccer was close behind with 14 honorees while having a slightly smaller roster.
• Brandon Loschiavo was the NCAA and Big Ten champion in platform diving and also an Olympic qualifier in the event for Team USA.
• Swimmer Nikola Aćin also qualified for the Olympic Games with Serbia's 4x100 freestyle relay team.
• Softball's Rachel Becker led the Big Ten and set a Purdue record with a .479 batting average. She was named Academic All-District.
• Baseball's Jackson Smeltz was named Academic All-District and also the recipient of the Brady Comeback Scholarship Award from Methodist Sports Medicine.
• Volleyball's Marissa Hornung was Purdue's female recipient of the Big Ten Outstanding Sportsmanship award.
• Soccer's Julia Ware was selected to the NCAA Competition Oversight Committee in October.
• Tamara Farquhar was one of only three women's basketball players in the conference to earn Big Ten Distinguished Scholar honors while compiling a 4.0 GPA for 2020-21.
FULL LIST OF PURDUE'S 2020-21 BIG TEN DISTINGUISHED SCHOLARS
Names in bold earned 4.0 GPAs this school year
Years in parentheses are previous years they were also recognized
BASEBALL (2)
• Tanner Haston (2020) – Health Science Preprofessional (Pre-Dentistry)
• Jackson Smeltz – Agribusiness Management
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL (3)
• Tamara Farquhar (2020, 2019) – Psychological Sciences
• Cassidy Hardin (2020) – Biochemistry
• Roxane Makolo – Public Relations & Strategic Communcations
MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY AND TRACK & FIELD (8)
• Curt Eckstein – Mechanical Engineering
• Kyle Griffith – Civil Engineering
• Ian Hunter – Computer Science / Actuarial Science / Applied Statistics
• Bryce Hutchinson – Chemical Engineering
• John Pieper (2020) – Environmental & Ecological Engineering
• Blake Selm (2020) – Chemical Engineering
• Ian Shaw – Environmental Geoscience
• William White – Computer Science
WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY AND TRACK & FIELD (12)
• Lindsay Absher – Interior Design
• Rachel Anderson (2020, 2019) – Health Science Preprofessional (Pre-Physician's Assistant)
• Jessica Bray – Health Science Preprofessional (Pre-Med)
• Megan Casey – Environmental & Natural Resources Engineering
• Rebecca Coan (2020, 2019, 2018) – Health Science Preprofessional (Pre-Med)
• Emma Keesling – Food & Biological Process Engineering
• Jaden Mattox – Management
• Taylor Mortensen (2020, 2019) – Animal Science
• Ella Robinson – Soil & Water Sciences
• Tessa Sheets (2020, 2019) – Animal Sciences
• Megan Slamkowski (2020, 2019) – Kinesiology / Psychological Sciences
• Emma Tate – Plant Science
FOOTBALL (4)
• Jack Cravaack – Selling & Sales Management
• Zander Horvath (2020, 2019) – Construction Management
• Jack Plummer (2020) – General Management
• Brooks Royal – Agricultural Systems Management
MEN'S GOLF (1)
• Joe Weiler (2020, 2019) – Industrial Engineering
SOCCER (14)
• Marisa Bova – Psychological Sciences / Law & Society
• Sydney Duarte – Nursing
• Skylar Giacobetti – Health Science Preprofessional (Pre-Med)
• Maya Lambert (2020, 2019) – Accounting
• Paige Liebel (2020) – Electrical Engineering
• Lexi Marks – Civil Engineering
• Hannah Melchiorre (2020, 2019) – Biology
• Aly Mielke (2020) – Kinesiology
• Ally Mussallem – Nursing
• Sydney Sparks – Marketing
• Emma Tompkins – Brain & Behavioral Sciences
• Grace Walsh – Neurobiology & Physiology
• Julia Ware (2020) – Law & Society
• Ashley Witucki – Health Science Preprofessional (Pre-Med)
SOFTBALL (4)
• Rachel Becker – Chemical Engineering
• Kendall Chase (2020) – Health Science Preprofessional (Pre-Med)
• Kaeley Hallada (2020) – Elementary Education
• Kasey Wilhoit – Agronomy, Crop & Soial Management
MEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING (9)
• Nikola Aćin – Kinesiology
• Ben Bramley (2020) – Finance
• Kal Findley – Industrial Engineering
• Gabi Gomez Treig (2020) – Finance / Accounting
• Ryan Hrosik – Marketing
• Ryan Lawrence – Mechanical Engineering
• Brandon Loschiavo – Mass Communication
• Dale Williams (2020, 2019) – Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering
• Skyler Younkin – General Management
WOMEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING (16)
• Caylee Casbon (2020, 2019) – Kinesiology
• Emily Converse (2020, 2019, 2018) – Special Education / Elementary Education
• Katie Hughes (2020, 2019) – Kinesiology
• McKenna Jule (2020) – Health Science Preprofessional (Pre-Med)
• Evan King (2020) – Planetary Sciences / Geology & Geophysics
• Riley Kishman (2020, 2019) – Health Science Preprofessional (Pre-Physical Therapy)
• Sylvia Kobylak – Kinesiology
• Kelsey Macaddino (2020) – Biomedical Engineering
• Maggie Merriman (2020) – Human Services
• Kat Mueller – Social Studies Education
• Natalie Myers (2020, 2019) – Ecology, Evolution & Environmental Biology
• Angela Pan (2020, 2019) – Psychological Sciences
• Maycey Vieta – Media & Mass Communication
• Leanna Wall – Chemical Engineering
• Tessa Wrightson (2020) – Health Science Preprofessional (Pre-Med)
• Rachel Young – Business Communication
MEN'S TENNIS (1)
• Andre Suzanne – Physics
WOMEN'S TENNIS (2)
• Zala Dovnik (2020) – Industrial Management, Financial Engineering
• Zeynep Naz Ozturk – Finance
VOLLEYBALL (6)
• Hayley Bush (2020) – Agribusiness, Agricultural Finance
• Maddy Chinn – Health Science Preprofessional (Pre-Dentistry)
• Emma Ellis – Animal Sciences
• Marissa Hornung (2020) – Human Resource Development
• Megan Renner – Health Science Preprofessional (Pre-Physician's Assistant)
• Emma Terwilliger (2020) – Neurobiology & Physiology / Health & Disease
WRESTLING (3)
• Parker Filius – Construction Management
• Max Lyon – Industrial Management, Operations & Supply Chain Management
• Ethan Smiley (2020) – Plant Science