The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Women's Athletics Wins Halbrook Award
10/29/2009 | Athletics
The award was one of several presented at a luncheon on Oct. 5 at Mississippi College in conjunction with the Mississippi Association of Colleges (MAC) Conference, where all of the state's higher education institutions, which included public and private, as well as four-year and two-year schools, are represented.
Accepting the award for Ole Miss was Dr. Morris Stocks, University Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.
In addition, Ole Miss student-athletes Bram ten Berge (men's tennis) and Rachel Kieckhaefer (volleyball) were recognized in the award luncheon program for excelling in the areas of athletics, academics, leadership and public service.
As calculated by the MAC, Ole Miss' 10 women's sports teams produced an 83 percent graduation rate last year that was tops among the state's eight four-year public schools, which include include Alcorn State, Delta State, Jackson State, Mississippi Valley State, Mississippi University for Women, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Southern Miss. Highlighting the Rebel squads was the golf team turning in a perfect 100 percent graduation rate.
"Our mission as an academic institution is to provide our student-athletes with an opportunity to receive a college education, and for our female student-athletes to have the highest graduation rate amongst the public schools in the state shows we're accomplishing our mission," said Lynnette Johnson, Ole Miss Executive Associate Athletics Director.
"We're extremely proud of our women for completing their college degrees and for achieving this important goal in their lives."
In addition to the success in the classroom, Ole Miss women's athletics also excelled in competition with the tennis and golf teams receiving NCAA Tournaments bids while members of the track teams participated in the NCAA Championships. The Rebel basketball team also returned to postseason play for the fifth time in the last six seasons with a berth in the WNIT.
The Halbrook Award recognizes colleges and universities that maintain and achieve high academic standards for student-athletes, thus encouraging high graduation rates. The awards were established by the State Legislature in 1995 and named for former State legislator David Halbrook, whose family also endows the award program.
