The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Student-Athletes Earn the Ultimate Championship
5/14/2016 | Academic Support
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OXFORD, Miss. - While achieving plenty of success on the fields and courts during their careers, Ole Miss student-athletes excelled in the classroom, and Saturday they achieved the ultimate championship - graduation.
Student-athletes gathered in the morning for a special breakfast at The Pavilion at Ole Miss with their families, coaches and athletics staff, before heading to The Grove for the morning convocation followed by the individual school ceremonies. Athletics Director Ross Bjork congratulated the student-athletes on their accomplishments and told them they were Rebels for life and always welcome back to Ole Miss.
Football had 12 members graduate, including 2015 Chucky Mullins Award winner Mike Hilton, and recent NFL draftee Cody Core. Both helped lead the Rebels to an outstanding season capped off with a resounding win in the Sugar Bowl.
Prior to taking the field for the final game of the series against Kentucky, six members of the diamond Rebels graduated, including ace pitcher Brady Bramlett, who serves as the Vice-Chair of the NCAA National Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Bramlett sang the National Anthem at the convocation ceremony in The Grove.
It was an exciting year for men's basketball with the opening The Pavilion, and four Rebels capped it off with graduation Saturday, including All-SEC first team honoree Stefan Moody. Moody ended his career as a consensus All-SEC selection. He became only the fifth player in Ole Miss history and the 26th player in SEC history to top 700 points in a season and averaged and SEC-leading 23.6 per game.
A highlight for the men's basketball program Saturday, Rebel great Johnny Neumann earned his degree 45 years after a record-setting year at Ole Miss. One of the most exciting players in college basketball history, Neumann led the nation in scoring as a sophomore at 40.1 points per game and was named to several 1971 All-America squads. An SEC Player of the Year, Neumann holds the Ole Miss single-season scoring record with 923 points.
Soccer enjoyed a historic season on the pitch earning their first ever NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearance and finishing the year with the highest final ranking (No. 16) in program history. Six members of the team graduated, including Academic All-American Jessica Hiskey, who completed her career as part of a group of seven seniors that tied for the most wins of any senior class in school history with 51.
Volleyball set numerous team and individual records again in 2015, and three Rebels who helped lead the resurgence of the program earned their degrees, including All-American and record-holder Nakeyta Clair. The late Ty Laporte was posthumously awarded her degree.
Softball has enjoyed many firsts this season, and is expecting more to come with Sunday's announcement of the 2016 NCAA Division I Softball Championship field of 64. Several members of the team รขห' who helped shatter the school record for wins in a season with 39, and also tie the single season mark for most SEC wins with 11 รขห' graduated Saturday. The list includes starting pitcher Madi Osias, who broke the Rebels' single-season record for wins earlier in the year and became the schools' first 20-game winner.
Men's golf had three graduates, including the SEC Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Forrest Gamble. Four graduated from women's golf, including SEC Women's Golf co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year Abby Newton.
Along the lines of Neumann, men's tennis student assistant and 2009 NCAA Champion Devin Britton also earned his degree. After winning the NCAA singles title and playing on the pro circuit for four years, Britton returned to Ole Miss to complete his degree and has been helping out the team. He is in Berkeley, California, where the Rebels defeated Denver 4-3 Saturday to advance to the NCAA second round.
A special ceremony for those student-athletes who were competing for the Rebels during Saturday's commencement will be held Monday at 4 p.m. at the team meeting room in the Manning Center. It will include members of the women's tennis team, and track and field teams.
