June 17, 2003
DALLAS - A record 24 Big 12 student-athletes have been awarded $5,000 postgraduate scholarships by the Big 12 Conference at the completion of the 2002-03 academic year, the conference office announced Tuesday.
With the 24 honored for 2002-03, the total number of Big 12 postgraduate scholarship awardees has climbed to 88 since the 1996-97 academic year.
A committee of three faculty athletics representatives, one senior woman administrator and one director of athletics form the selection group for the postgraduate scholarship awards, which helps student-athletes to continue their formal education.
Criteria for these awards include a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, participation in at least two years of intercollegiate athletics at the scholar-athlete's respective institution, and completion of athletics' eligibility. They must graduate from their member institutions within 15 months of selection as postgraduate scholarship recipients and are expected to enroll in graduate/professional schools within two years after graduation.
Big 12 Conference postgraduate scholarships started at $2,500 per individual in 1996-97 and were raised to $5,000 in 1999. The conference has provided $392,500 in financial aid since May 1997, to deserving recipients. The Big 12 Conference Board of Directors for the 2002-03 academic provided 24 postgraduate scholarships (12 men, 12 women) to increase the opportunities for a growing number of applicants.
Missouri butterfly specialist Radu Miclaus of Sibiu, Romania, made waves at the 2003 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championships placing third in the 200-meter medley relay and fourth in the 100-meter butterfly. Miclaus has received both Academic All-Big 12 and Verizon/CoSIDA All-Academic District VII distinctions in his academic career. He is a finance major intending to pursue an M.B.A. at MU.
Tiffany Bohon of Columbia, Mo., performed solidly for Missouri's women's swimming team, concluding her career with a third-place finish in the 200-meter breaststroke at the Big 12 Championships. Bohon has several student-athletic honors including Academic All-Big 12. She is a biology major planning to remain at Missouri to attend medical school.
Other Recipents...
2002-03 Big 12 Postgraduate Scholarship Recipients
Ross Bennett, Baylor baseball
Whitney Barrett, Baylor soccer
Tara Goedjen, Iowa State women's tennis
Cody Stafford, Iowa State football
Tim Doty, Kansas State baseball
Amy Mortimer, Kansas State women's track
Kyle Eaton, Oklahoma State football
Linda Faltynkova, Oklahoma State women's tennis
Benjamin Hooker, Texas A&M men's track
Jamie Mishler, Texas A&M equestrian
Stacey Poole, Texas Tech volleyball
John Walker, Texas Tech men's tennis
Stephen Carroll, Colorado men's golf
Dominique Lemperle, Colorado women's tennis
Case Collard, Kansas football
Gwen Haley, Kansas women's swimming
Radu Miclaus, Missouri men's swimming
Tiffany Bohon, Missouri women's swimming
Laura Pilakowski, Nebraska volleyball/w. basketball
Ryan Sneed, Nebraska men's gymnastics
Chris Mitchell, Oklahoma men's tennis
Stephanie Simon, Oklahoma women's basketball
Erin Sims, Texas women's track
Sean Foley, Texas men's swimming
Previous Recipients of Big 12 Postgraduate Scholarships:
1996-97
Shelly Bartlett, Nebraska gymnastics
Jenny Bramer, Oklahoma basketball, track & field
Mark Branch, Oklahoma State wrestling
Chris Eckerman, Texas swimming
Jimmy Frush, Texas Tech baseball
Jennifer Guillory, Texas A&M swimming
Jerod Haase, Kansas basketball
Angie Halbleib, Kansas basketball
Ted Harris, Nebraska gymnastics
Kim Mazza, Iowa State gymnastics
1997-98
Kelly Smith, Colorado track
Jayme Olsen, Iowa State basketball
Lisa Beran, Kansas track & field
Roxanne Long, Oklahoma basketball
Douglas Maziur, Baylor track & field
Maria Abatjoglou, Kansas tennis
Elena Piliptchak, Kansas State tennis
Josh Dimmick, Kansas baseball
Xavier Avila, Kansas tennis
1998-99
Kate Benson, Nebraska basketball
Kourtney Bower, Oklahoma State basketball
Heather Burroughs, Colorado cross country
Xan Courville, Colorado skiing
Bobbi Crill, Texas Tech track & field
Emily Diederich, Kansas State track & field
Mark Naftanel, Texas A&M swimming & diving
Nikki Webber, Missouri track & field
1999-00
Kera Alexander, Texas A&M basketball
Kelly Campbell, Colorado volleyball
Keith Cockrum, Texas Tech football
Jennifer Crow, Oklahoma State basketball
Keely Franks, Texas softball
Isabelle Morneau, Nebraska soccer
Virginia Russell, Oklahoma gymnastics
Cody Sanderson, Iowa State wrestling
Brian Shaw, Nebraska football
Jamie Vannoy, Texas Tech golf
Paula Workman, Texas Tech softball
2000-01
Nicole Cavarra, Colorado golf
Gina Curtis, Iowa State track & field
Amie Finker-Jorgensen, Nebraska cross country, track & field
Sunny Gilbert, Missouri cross country, track & field
Brice Libel, Kansas State football
Alfred Mansour, Texas A&M swimming & diving
Paul Shirley, Iowa State basketball
Kerry O'Bric, Baylor track & field
Kris Stockton, Texas football
Stephanie Webb, Oklahoma cross country/track & field
Sara Wells, Oklahoma State track & field
Mark Williams, Baylor tennis
Ashley Wysong, Missouri track & field
2001-02
Tim Hartshorn, Baylor baseball
Lanie Millar, Baylor cross country, track & field
Erin Endres, Iowa State swimming
Catherine Voorhees, Iowa State swimming
Fran Krepelka, Oklahoma State tennis
Jesse Even, Texas A&M swimming & diving
Beth Weynand, Texas A&M volleyball
Royce Ramey, Texas Tech tennis
Aaron Blondeau, Colorado cross country
Ann Marie Brooks, Missouri cross country, track & field
Rachel Spiry, Nebraska rifle
Betsy Berry, Oklahoma golf
Vladka Uhlirova, Texas tennis