The University of Mississippi Athletics
Recent Graduates Recognized For Academic Achievement
10/7/2011 | Academic Support
Oct. 7, 2011
OXFORD, Miss. - Six Ole Miss student-athletes who recently graduated from the University of Mississippi were among more than 400 Division I Football Bowl Subdivision student-athletes named as the inaugural recipients of the 1A FAR Academic Excellence Award.
Track and Field led the way with three honorees, including Lee Moore, Sofie Persson and Allison Kneip. Joining them on the list is football player Wesley Phillips, volleyball player Emily Kvitle and women's tennis player Laura van de Stroet.
The award was established by the 1A Faculty Athletics Representatives to recognize student-athlete academic achievement.
Recipients must have graduated in the past academic year with at least a 3.80 cumulative grade-point average and have participated in at least two years of intercollegiate athletics at an FBS institution in a sport sponsored by an FBS conference. Football student-athletes at FBS institutions that are independent in football were also eligible for the award.
Moore, who graduated in May with a degree in biology, was named the 2011 SEC Men's Track and Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year, earned an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship and received a Taylor Medal, the highest academic honor at the University. He accomplished all this while also becoming a first team All-American and the SEC Champion in the 400 meter hurdles.
Persson graduated in May with a bachelor's degree in marketing. She was recognized as the top marketing student in the University of Mississippi's business school last year and an All-American on the track.
Phillips, who received his degree in civil engineering, earned ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District first team honors and also received a Taylor Medal. In addition, Phillips was selected to the 2011 National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society. Phillips handled the long-snapping duties for the Rebels in all 12 games during his 2010 senior season.
Van de Stroet graduated with a degree in marketing and was a three-time ITA Scholar-Athlete as well as an All-SEC performer on the tennis court. Kvitle, a three-time All-SEC Academic honoree, received her degree in exercise science while helping lead the Rebels to their third NCAA appearance in five years in 2010. Kneip, a four-time All-SEC Academic honoree, graduated in May with a degree in Biology.
The award was given to 432 student-athletes: 136 men and 296 women. Twenty-eight percent of the recipients majored in mathematics, science or engineering; 22 percent in business-related fields; 18 percent in social sciences or humanities; 12 percent in health-related studies; 7 percent in education; 6 percent in communications; and the remaining 7 percent in other fields.
A list of recipients รขห' along with their institutions, sports and majors รขห' can be found at the 1A FAR website.
