The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Athletics Success Extends To Classroom
5/19/2009 | Athletics
OXFORD, Miss. - Ole Miss student-athletes have enjoyed unprecedented success this year, and not just on the field.
Each student-athlete must balance athletic efforts with academics, and this year the Rebels excelled in competition and in the classroom, as 44 percent of Ole Miss students-athletes were named to one of the University's three academic honor rolls this spring. To be distinguished on one of the honor rolls (UMAA, Dean's List, and Chancellor's List), a student must achieve at least a 3.0 GPA for the semester.
"The dedication to academics is not limited to just those top few students but to every one of our student-athletes," said Karen Schiferl, Senior Associate Athletics Director for Academic Support. "For almost half of all our student-athletes to post 3.0 GPAs or better this spring, it shows the commitment of these young people and the emphasis being placed on academics by our coaches and staff."
Among those 142 honor roll recipients, 25 student-athletes posted a perfect 4.0 GPA for the spring semester. Included among the group were the SEC H. Boyd McWhorter Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year Bram ten Berge and McWhorter Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year nominee Rachel Kieckhaefer.
The Rebel soccer team led the way with six student-athletes who recorded perfect GPAs, while men's tennis and volleyball followed closely with four student-athletes each. Also, two members of the Rebels' Cotton Bowl Champion team, Bryan Powers and Devin Thomas, posted 4.0 GPAs.
Sixty Ole Miss student-athletes received their degrees in either December or May, while two more are on track to complete their curriculum in August. A note of particular pride for the athletics department is the fact that Rebel student-athletes' graduation rates have exceeded those of the general student population over the past three years.
So while the Rebels continue to achieve glory on the playing field, they also represent some of the top leaders in the academic life of the University.
Spring Semester 4.0 GPAs
Ryan Brown, Men's Basketball
Bryan Powers, Football
Devin Thomas, Football
Bram ten Berge, Men's Tennis
Chris Thiemann, Men's Tennis
Marcel Thiemann, Men's Tennis
Matthias Wellermann, Men's Tennis
Shawn Goff, Women's Basketball
Keely Stankey, Rifle
Amanda Hutcheson, Softball
Katie Breathitt, Soccer
Erin Downing, Soccer
Sofia Lindell, Soccer
Amy Bayles, Soccer
Alley Ronaldi, Soccer
Meredith Snow, Soccer
Laura van de Stroet, Women's Tennis
Lee Ellis Moore, Track and Field
Lindsay Doucett, Track and Field
Kasey McDaniel, Track and Field
Sofie Persson, Track and Field
Caitlin Keefe, Volleyball
Rachel Kieckhaefer, Volleyball
Emily Kvitle, Volleyball
Allison Weber, Volleyball