26 Falcons Named Distinguished Scholar-Athletes

July 24, 2015 | General, Softball, Women's Basketball, Women's Golf, Gymnastics, Women's Swimming & Diving, Women's Track and Field

By: by Jason Knavel, Assistant Athletic Director for Athletic Communications

Cleveland, Ohio – The Mid-American Conference announced today the Distinguished Scholar Athletes from 16 winter and spring sports during the 2014-15 academic season as 359 student-athletes were voted by faculty athletic representatives at MAC institutions representing the 'best of the best' from each sports Academic All-MAC Teams.

For Bowling Green, 26 student-athletes were recognized (including those honored in multiple sports), including five who boast a 4.00 grade point average. Women's basketball's Deborah Hoekstra, gymnastics' Lauren Feely and Rachel Reis, softball's Emily McClelland and track and field's Natalie Sommerville all stand out with perfect GPA's.

Four Falcon teams ranked among the elite in the MAC in terms of number of student-athletes recognized. Women's golf led their sport with three honorees, while indoor track and field tied for second in the MAC with six student-athletes honored. Gymnastics and outdoor track and field both ranked third in the conference.

"Our athletes continue to be leaders of the MAC in the classroom and this recognition is an indicator of our successes in the classroom," Assistant Athletics Director for Academics and Student Services Chet Hesson said. "These accomplishments are a key component of what it means to be a Falcon."

The Distinguished Scholar Athlete is given to student-athletes who have excelled in athletics and academics. It is the first year of the program in the MAC. Following each season from the sports schedule, any student-athlete with a 3.20 GPA and participation in at least 50 percent of the contests was automatically named to the previously announced Academic All-MAC Team from each sport. Also, first-year students and junior college transfers in their first year of residence were not eligible for the award.

From the Academic All-MAC Teams, the faculty athletic representatives selected the 'best of the best' of the Academic All-MAC Teams to be honored with Distinguished Scholar Athlete Award for the 2014-15 season. The number of Distinguished Scholar Athletes from each sport were equivalent to the number of first-team selections or 33 percent of nominees, whichever was greater.

Earlier this year, the MAC announced the 194 Distinguished Scholar Athletes from the seven fall sports sponsored by the Conference. This combined with the 359 winter and spring sports gives the MAC 553 total students named as Distinguished Scholar Athletes during the 2014-15 academic year. BGSU had 23 student-athletes honored in the fall for a grand total of 49 for the year.

BGSU's Distinguished Scholar-Athletes
Indoor Track & Field – Maria Meredith, Junior, 3.943, Communication Disorders
Indoor Track & Field – Brooke Pleger, Senior, 3.624, Nursing
Indoor Track & Field – Becca Rae, Junior, 3.701, Behavioral Sciences
Indoor Track & Field – Krystin Reiser, Senior, 3.632, Graphic Design
Indoor Track & Field – Natalie Sommerville, Senior, 3.946, Teaching English (TESOL)
Indoor Track & Field – Makenzie Wheat, Sophomore, 3.348, Graphic Design
Swimming & Diving – Stephanie Boyle, Senior, 3.613, Intervention Specialist
Swimming & Diving – Kayla Effinger, Junior, 3.792, Biology
Swimming & Diving – Victoria Griffin, Sophomore, 3.243, Criminal Justice
Swimming & Diving – Haley Roberts, Senior, 3.572, Health Science
Women's Basketball – Deborah Hoekstra, Senior, 4.000, Health Science
Gymnastics – Lauren Feely, Sophomore, 4.000, Early Childhood Education
Gymnastics – Alyssa Nocella, Junior, 3.794, Pre-exercise Science
Gymnastics – Rachel Reis, Sophomore, 4.000, Pre-exercise Science
Women's Golf – Shelby Wilson, Senior, 3.871, Nursing
Women's Golf – Mikayla Baer, Sophomore, 3.723, Biology
Women's Golf – Patricia Holt, Senior, 3.854, Sport Management
Softball – Emily McClelland, Senior, 4.000, Human Movement & Sport Leisure
Softball – Aspen Searle, Sophomore, 3.537, Psychology
Outdoor Track & Field – Andrea Alt, Junior, 3.760, Education
Outdoor Track & Field – Kera Lamotte, Junior, 3.322, Psychology
Outdoor Track & Field – Maria Meredith, Junior, 3.943, Communication Disorders
Outdoor Track & Field – Brooke Pleger, Senior, 3.624, Nursing
Outdoor Track & Field – Becca Rae, Junior, 3.761, Communication Disorders
Outdoor Track & Field – Brittany Sinclair, Senior, 3.200, Human Movement & Sport Leisure
Outdoor Track & Field – Natalie Sommerville, Senior, 4.000, Teaching English (TESOL)