The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Athletics To Be Well Represented At Graduation Saturday
5/8/2008 | Athletics
OXFORD, Miss. - Ole Miss athletics will be well represented at Saturday's graduation ceremonies on the University of Mississippi campus.
Forty Ole Miss student-athletes are set to earn degrees this semester, while 11 others are on track to complete their curriculum in August. In addition, four Rebels, including two-time All-SEC running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis, graduated in December, and four more did post-graduate work this year while competing on a team.
Among the student-athletes participating in commencement ceremonies is the rifle team's Casey Phillips, who has maintained a 4.00 grade point average in journalism and is a nominee for the Taylor Medal, which is the university's highest academic honor. The Canton, Ala., native was twice chosen the Great American Rifle Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Also donning the cap and gown will be Phi Beta Kappa inductees Nicole Mahan of the volleyball team and Cori Mehan from soccer. Mahan from Amarillo, Texas, is graduating in three years with a 3.92 GPA in art history, while Mehan of Cordova, Tenn., boasts a 3.84 GPA as an english major and has been accepted into the prestigious Teach for America program upon graduation.
Ole Miss women's tennis player Nika Koukhartchouk is receiving her Masters in Business Administration, giving her an M.B.A. and a B.A. in four total years of classes. The Kaliningrad, Russia native is a three-time ITA Scholar-Athlete and ranked No. 32 in the nation in doubles.
The University of Mississippi's 155th commencement ceremonies begin Saturday at 9 a.m. in The Grove with Fox News anchor Shepard Smith delivering the address. The individual schools' graduation exercises will follow in various locations across campus.