April 27, 2010
LOGAN, Utah - Utah State's athletics department recognized 157 student-athletes for achieving a 3.2 grade point average at the 17th annual Joe E. and Elma Whitesides Scholar-Athlete Luncheon Tuesday. To be eligible for the honor, student-athletes must have a cumulative 3.2 grade point average or have posted a 3.2 GPA during the last two semesters.
In all, approximately 47 percent of USU's student-athletes earned a 3.2 GPA to qualify for the awards.
The top honoree during the luncheon was track athlete Erin Stratton. The senior from Aurora, Colo. (Smoky Hill HS) graduated Summa Cum Laude in December of 2009 with a bachelor's degree in exercise science and a minor in psychology. She was the valedictorian of the Health, Physical Education and Recreation Department with a 3.98 cumulative grade point average.
As a four-year letterwinner on Utah State's cross country/track and field teams, Stratton has claimed three Western Athletic Conference Championships as she won the mile and 3000m at the 2009 WAC Indoor Championships and the 1500m at the 2008 WAC Indoor Championships.
"To win this award means a lot because it shows that I was able to do well in both sports and the classroom," said Stratton. "You have to learn how to prioritize and make sure you're focusing both on school and track. I was raised to excel academically and athletics is something that I love so I have always tried to do well in both."
Stratton, who has earned academic all-WAC honors eight times during her USU career, is currently taking graduate courses in the sciences to prepare for her physician's assistant program this summer at Marietta (Ohio) College.
Sixteen of the past 18 recipients of the top individual honor have been women as the only males in that time to win the award was Mike Puzey from men's basketball in 2003 and Tyler Ellis from men's track who shared the award with Rebecca Anderson and Alison Taylor last year.
Utah State also handed out team honors and women's tennis was named the top academic team with less than 20 members, women's track and soccer were the top academic teams with more than 20 members, and men's tennis was the most improved academic team.
John Johnson, who is a sophomore on the men's track team, received the Aggie Achievement Award for overcoming life challenges and personal adversity to ultimately excel as a student-athlete and obtain a high level of academic achievement at Utah State University.
Dr. Mary Doty was presented the Meet The Challenge Award posthumously. USU Executive Vice President and Provost Dr. Raymond T. Coward also received the Meet The Challenge Award, while Glennie Mesa was given the Outstanding Tutor Award and Trissta Lyman was given the Outstanding Mentor Award for their work with USU's student-athletes.
The Whitesides honors started in 1953 by former USU athlete, coach and athletics director Joe E. Whitesides.
2010 UTAH STATE WHITESIDES SPECIAL HONORSWhitesides Winner - Erin Stratton (Women's Track)Meet The Challenge - Dr. Mary Doty and Dr. Raymond CowardAggie Achievement Award - John JohnsonOutstanding Tutor - Glennie MesaOutstanding Mentor - Trissta Lyman
Top Teams (20-plus members)1. Women's Track1. Women's Soccer3. Men's Track3. Football
Top Teams (less than 20 members)1. Women's Tennis2. Gymnastics3. Men's Tennis
Most Improved Teams1. Men's Tennis2. Football3. Gymnastics3. Golf
2010 UTAH STATE WHITESIDES HONOREESJon. M. Huntsman School of BusinessJake Actkinson, FootballKatie Astle, VolleyballSteven Atkinson, Men's TrackJames Brindley, FootballAdrian Bybee, FootballAlice Coddington, Women's BasketballAlex Daines, Men's TennisTanner Dance, Men's TennisAustin French, GolfTodd Griffith, Men's TrackHeather Heinrich, GymnasticsBrady Jardine, Men's BasketballJohn Johnson, Men's TrackNicole Johnson, Women's BasketballBen Macey, FootballJordan McMurray, Men's TrackPhilip Noble, Men's TrackHailey Swenson, Women's TennisThad Truman, GolfChris Ulinski, Football
College of ScienceNate Ballam, Men's TennisCortnie Broadus, Women's TrackRachel Feuz, SoccerMaria Halton, Women's TrackMax Hansen, Men's TrackLaura Hatch, Women's TrackRuth Hilton, Women's TrackErica Huelsmann, GymnasticsNicole Rupp-Tindall, SoftballDanielle Shorts, Soccer
College of EngineeringJake Doughty, FootballRachel Flessner, GymnasticsLauren Gwilliam, Women's TrackSam Hawkins, Men's TrackTanner Higham, Golf
College of Education & Human ServicesJeff Alley, Men's TrackKatelyn Anichini, Women's TrackMatt Austin, FootballKellen Bartlett, FootballJustine Baugh, Women's TrackLori Beckstrom, VolleyballMercedes Blackwood, Women's TrackLaurel Bodily, VolleyballRachel Boynton, Women's TrackChristian Brown-Frazier, FootballTyler Canales, FootballAshlee Cannon, Women's TrackRajric Coleman, FootballAmanda Corn, GymnasticsShantell Durrant, VolleyballTyler Ellis, Men's TrackRachel Evans, SoftballShantell Flanary, SoccerMarissa Floodman, Women's TrackJosh Flores, FootballPau Furtado, Women's BasketballNicole Gneiting, VolleyballKate Greenough, SoftballAimee Haertel, Women's TrackKali Hamby, Women's TrackLauren Hansen, SoccerAmanda Harmon, SoftballAubrie Haymore, Women's TrackBrittni Hopkin, Women's TrackStacey Howard, Women's BasketballWashington Igboeli, FootballKatelyn Jensen, Women's TrackDevin Johnson, FootballJulia Johnson, Women's TrackKimiko Kamo-Griffith, Women's TrackDiana Karavida, GymnasticsEllen Larsen, SoccerKrista Larsen, Women's TrackAllison Maduell, SoccerLiz McArthur, VolleyballMolli Merrill, SoccerCache Morgan, FootballChristine Morrill, VolleyballShanna Nielsen, Women's TrackNancy Olsen, Women's TrackJamaine Olson, FootballAmber Rasmussen, Women's TrackChandra Salmon, SoccerErin Salmon, SoccerKelsey Sax, SoccerAlisa Sheffer, Women's TrackKandace Shoell, Women's TrackClinton Silcock, Men's TrackLindsey Smart, SoccerErin Stratton, Women's TrackSummer Tillotson, SoccerShasta Tyteca, SoftballAmanda Watamaniuk, GymnasticsTai Wesley, Men's BasketballJosselyn White, VolleyballMcKayla Williams, Women's Track
UniversityKatelyn Buttars, Women's TrackCarli Campbell, Women's TrackKali Cancelosi, SoftballCourtney Cawley, SoccerDevyn Christensen, Women's BasketballMark Cooper, FootballPreston Eaton, Men's BasketballKatelyn Elliot, SoftballKarlie Fitzgerald, Women's TrackMatthew Maughan, Men's TrackPreston Medlin, Men's BasketballTalina Nelson, Women's TrackLindsay Obray, SoccerKristin Peterson, Women's TrackJenelle Phillips, Women's TennisDrew Povey, Men's TrackAmber Thompson, Women's TrackShelbi Tyteca, SoftballJaclyn West, Women's TennisBailee Whitworth, Women's TrackMersadi Wilkins, Women's TrackLevi Williams, Men's Track
College of Humanities, Arts and Social SciencesHollie Bosworth, Women's TrackChelsea Burns, Women's BasketballKaylee Campbell, Women's TrackParker Erickson, FootballPreston Erickson, FootballCamille Fehlberg, Women's TrackMatt Formisano, Men's BasketballMadison, Jensen, SoftballCamarie Jones, SoftballKelsey Keller, Women's TrackNathan Lloyd, Men's TrackWendy Madsen, Women's TrackBrooke McNaughton, Women's TrackWhitney Mendivil, VolleyballTyler Newbold, Men's BasketballMelissa Osterloh, VolleyballKelsie Packham, Women's TrackTanner Richins, FootballHeidi Saville, Women's TrackCasey Snider, Men's TrackSteven Strickland, Men's TrackAlex Thatcher, Men's TennisBritney Watts, Women's TennisSimone Hubbard, Softball
College of AgricultureJessie Chugg, Women's TrackJennifer Day, Women's TrackNatalie Norris, SoccerJolyn Wendt, Women's Track
College of Natural ResourcesHaley Hogan, GymnasticsDaniel Howell, Men's TrackChalese West, Women's Track
School of Graduate StudiesAlan Bishop, FootballBrandon Broadhead, GolfKira Datwyler, Women's TrackChase Griffiths, FootballNnamdi Gwacham, FootballLeeAnn Palo, Women's BasketballSydne Porter-Garner, SoccerLydia Whitehead, Women's Basketball
