April 24, 2008
LOGAN, Utah - Utah State's athletics department recognized 152 student-athletes and 14 managers and student trainers for achieving a 3.2 grade point average at the 15th annual Joe E. and Elma Whitesides Scholar-Athlete Luncheon here Thursday. 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 soccer player Shannon Ross who was recognized as the Joe E. Whitesides Award recipient. The senior from Fort Worth, Texas (Fossil Ridge HS) posted a 3.90 grade-point average while majoring in exercise science.
As a three-year letterwinner on Utah State's soccer team, Ross appeared in 55 matches and earned academic all-Western Athletic Conference honors three times. During her senior season she helped Utah State to a 10-11-0 overall record, including a 5-2-0 mark in the WAC.
"This award means a lot because it shows that we are all well-rounded as athletes and we can do things outside the playing field," said Ross. "My number one goal has always been academics, I want to make something of my life and I've always wanted to give back."
Ross, who will graduate with her bachelor's degree this spring, plans on beginning her graduate degree work this fall at either the University of Utah, Duke or Wake Forest, in an effort to become a physician's assistant.
Thirteen of the past 14 recipients of the top individual honor have been women as the only male in that time to win the award was Mike Puzey from men's basketball in 2003.
Utah State also handed out team honors as the women's tennis team was named the top academic team with less than 20 members, while the women's track team was the top academic team with more than 20 members. Women's tennis also received the most improved academic team award.
Melanie Leishman from the register's office was presented the Meet The Challenge Award for her contributions to academics and athletics, and Bryan Stephenson was given the Outstanding Tutor Award for his work with USU's student-athletes.
The Whitesides honors started in 1953 by former USU athlete, coach and athletics director Joe E. Whitesides.
2008 UTAH STATE WHITESIDES SPECIAL HONORSWhitesides Winner - Shannon Ross, Women's SoccerMeet The Challenge - Melanie LeishmanOutstanding Tutor - Bryan Stephenson
Top Teams (20-plus members)1. Women's Track2. Women's Soccer3. Men's Track
Top Teams (less than 20 members)1. Women's Tennis2. Women's Cross Country3. Volleyball
Most Improved Teams1. Women's Tennis2. Men's Cross Country3. Men's Basketball
2008 UTAH STATE WHITESIDES HONOREESJon. M. Huntsman School of BusinessRyan Bohm, FootballBrandon Broadhead, GolfChase Griffiths, FootballHeather Haak, SoftballHeather Heinrich, GymnasticsTyler Labrum, GolfJase McCormick, FootballLeeAnn Palo, Women's BasketballSydne Porter, SoccerTaylor Price, Men's Track & FieldPreston Robinson, FootballDanielle Schaap, VolleyballHailey Swenson, Women's TennisMatthew Toone, Men's Track & FieldThad Truman, GolfChris Ulinski, Football
College of ScienceRebecca Anderson, VolleyballJeremy Bearss, FootballCortnie Broadus, Women's Track & FieldCamryn Froerer, ManagerTaylor Mackay, Men's Track & FieldCody Mart, FootballKelly Patterson, GymnasticsNicole Rupp, SoftballJennifer Schiess, Women's Track & FieldAlison Taylor, Women's Track & Field
College of EngineeringLukas Bouton, Men's TennisJames Drake, Men's Track & FieldPalmer Hawkins, Men's Track & FieldVance Twitchell, Men's Track & Field
College of Education & Human ServicesJustine Baugh, Women's Track & FieldAlan Bishop, FootballTrisha Cardon, SoccerLacey Christenson, SoccerCandice Clark, SoccerChris Curtis, FootballJessica Darrow-Hammer, SoccerKira Datwyler, Women's Track & FieldTyler Ellis, Men's Track & FieldChelsea Falslev, SoccerNicole Felley, GymnasticsJosh Flores, FootballJared Glenn, Men's Track & FieldJennifer Gross, Women's BasketballNnamdi Gwacham, FootballBlake Hadfield, Men's Track & FieldAndra Hansen, SoccerVanessa Hawkins, Women's Track & FieldLauren Hansen, SoccerKory Hobbs, FootballAbby Hunt, SoccerJacob Hutton, FootballWashington Igboeli, FootballBrad Jakel, FootballKimiko Kamo, Women's Track & FieldApril Knighton, Women's Track & FieldKrista Larson, Women's Track & FieldMelissa Larson, VolleyballLindsay Lauro, SoccerStacie Lifferth, Women's Track & FieldMarie Livingston, Women's TennisDevin Markle, GymnasticsAmanda Nielson, VolleyballJordan McQueen, ManagerShanna Nielsen, Men's Track & FieldKiersten Nilsson, SoccerNick Oldroyd, TrainerKatherine Omann, GymnasticsAna Pares, Women's BasketballDana Peart, SoccerTaylor Richards, Women's BasketballAna Rickard-Whitfield, GymnasticsShannon Ross, SoccerAimee Sauvageau, Women's Track & FieldLindsey Shipley, Women's BasketballLindsey Smart, SoccerErin Stratton, Women's Track & FieldBridgette Strickland, Women's TennisKatie Thatcher, Women's Track & FieldMichelle Theurer, Women's Track & FieldReve Tortel, Women's Track & FieldKalie Vickers, Women's Track & FieldCachet Webb, Women's Track & FieldLydia Whitehead, Women's BasketballLisa Willardson, Soccer
UndeclaredJakob Asplund, Men's TennisKatie Astle, VolleyballBlake Bolen, Men's Track & FieldLyndsie Boone, GymnasticsPeter Caldwell, FootballAshlee Cannon, Women's Track & FieldAlice Coddington, Women's BasketballChrista Drury, GymnasticsJessica Duhadway, Women's Track & FieldCamille Fehlberg, Women's Track & FieldRachel George, VolleyballNicholas Gittins, ManagerJervon Graves, FootballMaria Halton, Women's Track & FieldDaniel Heath, GolfCharles Hopkins, Men's Track & FieldHeidi Hopkins, Women's Track & FieldErica Huelsmann, GymnasticsKatelyn Jensen, Women's Track & FieldJason Jeppsen, Men's Track & FieldNicole Johnson, Women's BasketballCamarie Jones, Women's Track & FieldDerrick Keddington, FootballTylee Landon, SoftballBen Longshore, FootballChelsea Marquardt, GymnasticsTyler Newbold, Men's BasketballHeather Pond, SoccerJake Poulson, FootballStefani Shiozaki, SoccerKandace Shoell, Women's Track & FieldBrad Theurer, FootballShasta Tyteca, SoftballMark Watterson, Football
College of Humanities, Arts and Social SciencesMichael Banks, Men's TennisCarolyn Bleadorn, ManagerRebecca Bostwick, Women's Track & FieldJaycee Carroll, Men's BasketballBenjamin Childs, FootballAmy Egan, Women's Track & FieldAli Griffin, SoccerBrianna Harris, Women's TennisJeanine Hernandez, SoftballHeather Hillier, VolleyballSimone Hubbard, SoftballKris Hymas, VolleyballLeon Jackson III, FootballNathan Lloyd, Men's Track & FieldAlyssa Lowry, SoccerJake Mabey, Men's Track & FieldCameron Madsen, Men's Track & FieldFrank Maile, FootballBrooke McNaughton, Women's Track & FieldLogan Moore, Men's Track & FieldJenna Oldroyd, VolleyballMelissa Osterloh, VolleyballTed Stokes, FootballSteven Strickland, Men's Track & FieldMegan Tschida, GymnasticsJonas Tyden, Men's TennisBritney Watts, Women's TennisGary Wilkinson, Men's BasketballHeath Wing, Men's Track & FieldSarah Young, Women's Track & Field
College of AgricultureCaroline Berry, Women's Track & FieldJennifer Day, Women's Track & FieldJennifer Twitchell, Women's Track & Field
College of Natural ResourcesKim Quinn, Women's Track & FieldCasey Snider, Men's Track & Field
School of Graduate StudiesDasheek Akwenye, Men's Track & FieldJosh Anderson, FootballAmber Barlow, TrainerJimmy Bohm, FootballChad Eichten, TrainerMichael Green, FootballDerek Hoke, FootballTomomi Kamijo, TrainerAlexandra Martin, ManagerBrandon Payne, TrainerCarla Southwick, TrainerMichell Vlahos, Manager
