Fifty-Seven Spartans Named Big Ten Distinguished Scholars

Honorees earned minimum grade point average of 3.7 for the 2011-12 academic year.

EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Big Ten Conference released the list of student-athletes who received the 2011-12 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Award today. The conference recognized 587 student-athletes for earning a grade point average (GPA) of 3.7 or higher for the 2011-12 academic year, included in the list were 57 Michigan State student-athletes.

The Distinguished Scholar Award, which began after the 2008-09 academic year, acts as a supplement to the Academic All-Big Ten program. The award honors letterwinners in at least their second academic year at the institution, who reach the 3.7 GPA plateau for the academic year, excluding summer school.

In all, 85 Big Ten student-athletes accomplished a perfect 4.0 GPA, including eight Spartans. The MSU student-athletes with a 4.0 GPA were field hockey’s Corey Block, football’s Mike Sadler, women’s rowing’s Breanne Walkowiak, women’s soccer’s Desiree Aber and Megan Pines, women’s tennis’ Dana Guentert, and women’s track & field’s Katie Guikema and Kelsey Prena.

2011-12 Michigan State Recipients

Andrew Rademacher, Baseball, Jr., Accounting

Travis Borchard, Men’s Cross Country, Jr., Human Biology

Brett Burdick, Men’s Cross Country, Jr., International Relations

Melanie Brender, Women’s Cross Country, So., Social Relations And Policy

Lauren Calhoun, Women’s Cross Country, Sr., Advertising

Liana Eckert, Women’s Cross Country, Jr., Advertising

Julia Otwell, Women’s Cross Country, So., Biosystems Engineering

Monica Randall, Women’s Cross Country, So., Animal Science

Corey Block, Field Hockey, Jr., Kinesiology

Elizabeth Helffrich, Field Hockey, Jr., Chemistry

Holly Sherman, Field Hockey, Sr., Zoology

Nate Klatt, Football, Sr., Accounting

Mike Sadler, Football, So., Applied Engineering Sciences

Carson Castellani, Men’s Golf, So., Natural Science

Dave Ellis, Men’s Golf, Sr., Finance

Caroline Powers, Women’s Golf, Jr., Education

Matthew Crandell, Men’s Ice Hockey, Sr., Finance

Brock Shelgren, Men’s Ice Hockey, Sr., Finance

Greg Wolfe, Men’s Ice Hockey, So., Supply Chain Management

Abigail Christiansen, Women’s Rowing, Sr., Human Biology

Monica Lapointe, Women’s Rowing, So., Physiology

Michelle Neuder, Women’s Rowing, Sr., Child Development

Samantha Palmer, Women’s Rowing, Sr., Psychology

Breanne Walkowiak, Women’s Rowing, Sr., Kinesiology

Kevin Cope, Men’s Soccer, Jr., Finance

Ryan Keener, Men’s Soccer, So., Kinesiology

Tyler White, Men’s Soccer, Jr., Biosystems Engineering

Desiree Aber, Women’s Soccer, Sr., Marketing

Katelin Chaklos, Women’s Soccer, Sr., Marketing

Mikalia Dennis, Women’s Soccer, Sr., Advertising

Jill Flietstra, Women’s Soccer, Sr., Criminal Justice

Laura Heyboer, Women’s Soccer, Sr., Kinesiology

Jordan Mueller, Women’s Soccer, Sr., Journalism

Megan Pines, Women’s Soccer, Sr., Accounting

Kori Reinhart, Women’s Soccer, Jr., Accounting

Ali Grant, Softball, Sr., Interdisciplinary Study Social Sciences

Brett Williams, Softball, Sr., Communication

Shelby Wise, Softball, Jr., Psychology

Brian Akers, Men’s Swimming & Diving, Sr., Psychology

Lauren Baisden, Women’s Swimming & Diving, Jr., Kinesiology

Sarah Clay, Women’s Swimming & Diving, Sr., Nursing

Sarah Falconer, Women’s Swimming & Diving, Jr., Political Science-Prelaw

Laura Leslie, Women’s Swimming & Diving, Sr., Human Biology

Morgan Piasecki, Women’s Swimming & Diving, Sr., Health Study

Alexandra Pierce, Women’s Swimming & Diving, Jr., Psychology

Olga Chernova, Women’s Tennis, So., General Management

Dana Guentert, Women’s Tennis, Sr., Chemistry

Kevin Jackson, Men’s Track & Field, Sr., Marketing

Derik Peterman, Men’s Track & Field, Jr., Physics

Becca Buchholtz, Women’s Track & Field, ,Sr., General Management

Katie Guikema, Women’s Track & Field, Sr., Special Education

Allie Hock, Women’s Track & Field, Sr., Media Arts and Technology       .

Theresa O'Leary, Women’s Track & Field, Sr., Hospitality Business

Kelsey Prena, Women’s Track & Field, Jr., Communications

Kristen Kelsay, Women’s Volleyball, So., Psychology

Becca Zlabis, Women’s Volleyball, Sr., Communicative Science and Disorders

Nick Kaczanowski, Wrestling, Jr., Political Science