Utah State Recognizes 157 Student-Athletes At Annual Whitesides Luncheon

Utah ­ Utah State¹s athletics department recognized 157  student-athletes for achieving a 3.2 grade point average at the 17th annual Joe E. and Elma Whitesides Scholar-Athlete Luncheon Tuesday. To be eligible for the honor, student-athletes must have a cumulative 3.2 grade point average or have posted a 3.2 GPA during the last two semesters. 
    In all, approximately 47 percent of USU¹s student-athletes earned a 3.2 GPA to qualify for the awards. 
    The top honoree during the luncheon was track athlete Erin Stratton.  The senior from Aurora, Colo. (Smoky Hill HS) graduated Summa Cum Laude in December of 2009 with a bachelor¹s degree in exercise science and a minor in psychology.  She was the valedictorian of the Health, Physical Education and Recreation Department with a 3.98 cumulative grade point average. 
    As a four-year letterwinner on Utah State’s cross country/track and field teams, Stratton has claimed three Western Athletic Conference Championships as she won the mile and 3000m at the 2009 WAC Indoor Championships and the 1500m at the 2008 WAC Indoor Championships. 
    “To win this award means a lot because it shows that I was able to do well in both sports and the classroom,” said Stratton. “You have to learn how to prioritize and make sure you¹re focusing both on school and track.  I was raised to excel academically and athletics is something that I love so I have always tried to do well in both.” 
    Stratton, who has earned academic all-WAC honors eight times during her USU career, is currently taking graduate courses in the sciences to prepare for her physician¹s assistant program this summer at Marietta (Ohio) College. 
    Sixteen of the past 18 recipients of the top individual honor have been women as the only males in that time to win the award was Mike Puzey from men’s basketball in 2003 and Tyler Ellis from men¹s track who shared the award with Rebecca Anderson and Alison Taylor last year. 
    Utah State also handed out team honors and women¹s tennis was named the top academic team with less than 20 members, women¹s track and soccer were the top academic teams with more than 20 members, and men¹s tennis was the most improved academic team.  John Johnson, who is a sophomore on the men¹s track team, received the Aggie Achievement Award for overcoming life challenges and personal adversity to ultimately excel as a student-athlete and obtain a high level of academic achievement at Utah State University. 
    Dr. Mary Doty was presented the Meet The Challenge Award posthumously.  USU Executive Vice President and Provost Dr. Raymond T. Coward also received the Meet The Challenge Award, while Glennie Mesa was given the Outstanding Tutor Award and Trissta Lyman was given the Outstanding Mentor Award for their work with USU¹s student-athletes. 
    The Whitesides honors started in 1953 by former USU athlete, coach and athletics director Joe E. Whitesides.
2010 UTAH STATE WHITESIDES HONOREES
Jon. M. Huntsman School of Business
Jake Actkinson, Football
Katie Astle, Volleyball
Steven Atkinson, Men¹s Track
James Brindley, Football
Adrian Bybee, Football
Alice Coddington, Women¹s Basketball
Alex Daines, Men¹s Tennis
Tanner Dance, Men¹s Tennis
Austin French, Golf
Todd Griffith, Men¹s Track
Heather Heinrich, Gymnastics
Brady Jardine, Men¹s Basketball
John Johnson, Men¹s Track
Nicole Johnson, Women¹s Basketball
Ben Macey, Football
Jordan McMurray, Men¹s Track
Philip Noble, Men¹s Track
Hailey Swenson, Women¹s Tennis
Thad Truman, Golf
Chris Ulinski, Football

College of Science
Nate Ballam, Men¹s Tennis
Cortnie Broadus, Women¹s Track
Rachel Feuz, Soccer
Maria Halton, Women¹s Track
Max Hansen, Men¹s Track
Laura Hatch, Women¹s Track
Ruth Hilton, Women¹s Track
Erica Huelsmann, Gymnastics
Nicole Rupp-Tindall, Softball
Danielle Shorts, Soccer

College of Engineering
Jake Doughty, Football
Rachel Flessner, Gymnastics
Lauren Gwilliam, Women¹s Track
Sam Hawkins, Men¹s Track
Tanner Higham, Golf

College of Education & Human Services
Jeff Alley, Men¹s Track
Katelyn Anichini, Women¹s Track
Matt Austin, Football
Kellen Bartlett, Football
Justine Baugh, Women¹s Track
Lori Beckstrom, Volleyball
Mercedes Blackwood, Women¹s Track
Laurel Bodily, Volleyball
Rachel Boynton, Women¹s Track
Christian Brown-Frazier, Football
Tyler Canales, Football
Ashlee Cannon, Women¹s Track
Rajric Coleman, Football
Amanda Corn, Gymnastics
Shantell Durrant, Volleyball
Tyler Ellis, Men¹s Track
Rachel Evans, Softball
Shantell Flanary, Soccer
Marissa Floodman, Women¹s Track
Josh Flores, Football
Pau Furtado, Women¹s Basketball
Nicole Gneiting, Volleyball
Kate Greenough, Softball
Aimee Haertel, Women¹s Track
Kali Hamby, Women¹s Track
Lauren Hansen, Soccer
Amanda Harmon, Softball
Aubrie Haymore, Women¹s Track
Brittni Hopkin, Women¹s Track
Stacey Howard, Women¹s Basketball
Washington Igboeli, Football
Katelyn Jensen, Women¹s Track
Devin Johnson, Football
Julia Johnson, Women¹s Track
Kimiko Kamo-Griffith, Women¹s Track
Diana Karavida, Gymnastics
Ellen Larsen, Soccer
Krista Larsen, Women¹s Track
Allison Maduell, Soccer
Liz McArthur, Volleyball
Molli Merrill, Soccer
Cache Morgan, Football
Christine Morrill, Volleyball
Shanna Nielsen, Women¹s Track
Nancy Olsen, Women¹s Track
Jamaine Olson, Football
Amber Rasmussen, Women¹s Track
Chandra Salmon, Soccer
Erin Salmon, Soccer
Kelsey Sax, Soccer
Alisa Sheffer, Women¹s Track
Kandace Shoell, Women¹s Track
Clinton Silcock, Men¹s Track
Lindsey Smart, Soccer
Erin Stratton, Women¹s Track
Summer Tillotson, Soccer
Shasta Tyteca, Softball
Amanda Watamaniuk, Gymnastics
Tai Wesley, Men¹s Basketball
Josselyn White, Volleyball
McKayla Williams, Women¹s Track

University
Katelyn Buttars, Women¹s Track
Carli Campbell, Women¹s Track
Kali Cancelosi, Softball
Courtney Cawley, Soccer
Devyn Christensen, Women¹s Basketball
Mark Cooper, Football
Preston Eaton, Men¹s Basketball
Katelyn Elliot, Softball
Karlie Fitzgerald, Women¹s Track
Matthew Maughan, Men¹s Track
Preston Medlin, Men¹s Basketball
Talina Nelson, Women¹s Track
Lindsay Obray, Soccer
Kristin Peterson, Women¹s Track
Jenelle Phillips, Women¹s Tennis
Drew Povey, Men¹s Track
Amber Thompson, Women¹s Track
Shelbi Tyteca, Softball
Jaclyn West, Women¹s Tennis
Bailee Whitworth, Women¹s Track
Mersadi Wilkins, Women¹s Track
Levi Williams, Men¹s Track

College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
Hollie Bosworth, Women¹s Track
Chelsea Burns, Women¹s Basketball
Kaylee Campbell, Women¹s Track
Parker Erickson, Football
Preston Erickson, Football
Camille Fehlberg, Women¹s Track
Matt Formisano, Men¹s Basketball
Madison, Jensen, Softball
Camarie Jones, Softball
Kelsey Keller, Women¹s Track
Nathan Lloyd, Men¹s Track
Wendy Madsen, Women¹s Track
Brooke McNaughton, Women¹s Track
Whitney Mendivil, Volleyball
Tyler Newbold, Men¹s Basketball
Melissa Osterloh, Volleyball
Kelsie Packham, Women¹s Track
Tanner Richins, Football
Heidi Saville, Women¹s Track
Casey Snider, Men¹s Track
Steven Strickland, Men¹s Track
Alex Thatcher, Men¹s Tennis
Britney Watts, Women¹s Tennis
Simone Hubbard, Softball

College of Agriculture
Jessie Chugg, Women¹s Track
Jennifer Day, Women¹s Track
Natalie Norris, Soccer
Jolyn Wendt, Women¹s Track

College of Natural Resources
Haley Hogan, Gymnastics
Daniel Howell, Men¹s Track
Chalese West, Women¹s Track

School of Graduate Studies
Alan Bishop, Football
Brandon Broadhead, Golf
Kira Datwyler, Women¹s Track
Chase Griffiths, Football
Nnamdi Gwacham, Football
LeeAnn Palo, Women¹s Basketball
Sydne Porter-Garner, Soccer
Lydia Whitehead, Women¹s Basketball