Ohio State Student-Athletes Receive Degrees – Ohio State Buckeyes
6/14/2003 12:00:00 AM | General
June 14, 2003
Columbus, Ohio – Ninety-eight current and former Ohio State student-athletes received degrees Friday during the university’s commencement services. Among the graduates were current standouts Keaton Anderson, Derrick Butler, Nicholette Chambers, Sean Connolly, Suzanna Hyatt, Jennifer Link, Vincent Ng, Donnie Nickey, Kenny Peterson, Tamara Smith and Katie Virtue and former Buckeye Shawn Springs.
Ng, a men’s tennis player and Broadview Heights, Ohio, native, ranked No. 32 in the nation at the end of the season. He set the OSU career singles record with 127 wins April 11 in Madison, Wis., and closed his career with a singles record of 132-46. He led the team with a 41-7 singles record on the season en route to earning Big Ten Player of the Year accolades. Ng, the Ohio State Big Ten Conference Medal of Honor winner, graduated with a degree in biology and has been conditionally accepted to medical school at Ohio State. He was a Verizon First Team Academic All-American.
Anderson, a wrestler from Pickerington, Ohio, was a sixth-place finisher at the 2003 Big Ten Championships and a three-time qualifier to the NCAA tournament during his OSU career. As a senior, he battled injuries at the end of the season to claim All-America honors. He graduated with a bachelor’s of science in family resource management.
Butler, a distance runner and Cincinnati native, was the 2003 Big Ten champion in the 10,000-meter run. An outstanding student, he earned 2003 Verizon Academic All-America Second Team honors as well as first-team all-district accolades. A Big Ten Medal of Honor finalist, Butler graduated with a chemical engineering degree. Chambers (New Haven, Conn.), the 2003 Big Ten indoor pentathlon and outdoor heptathlon champion, received a bachelor’s degree in sports and leisure studies. High jumper Smith (Galloway, Ohio) recorded her fifth-straight combined indoor and outdoor Big Ten conference titles with a season-best leap of 5-11.25 at the 2003 conference outdoor meet. She earned her degree in communication.
Connolly, from Peabody, Mass., was the men’s basketball team leader for 3-pointers and foul shots in 2003. His .399 career 3-point shooting percentage (147-368) ranks No. 2 all-time at OSU. Connolly received his degree in family resource management.
Hyatt, a synchronized swimmer from Indianapolis, helped her team to four National Collegiate team titles during her career. In addition, she was the 2003 National Champion in the duet event. Hyatt, a finalist for the 2003 OSU Big Ten Medal of Honor, received her degree in Spanish.
Link, the OSU Softball Defensive Player of the Year as a freshman, Offensive Player of the Year as a sophomore and a 2002 Third Team All-American as a junior, graduated with a social work degree. An OSU Big Ten Medal of Honor finalist, Link garnered All-Big Ten accolades three times.
Nickey and Peterson were a part of the 2003 national championship football team. Individually, Nickey, who hails from Plain City, Ohio, ended his career with 258 career tackles and an All-Big Ten honorable mention selection. He was drafted to the Tennessee Titans and graduated with a degree in risk management and insurance. Peterson, from Canton, Ohio, had a career-high 43 tackles in 2002 and received second team All-Big Ten honors. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers and earned a degree in sociology.
Virtue, a four-year starter for the women’s volleyball team, hails from St. Charles, Ill. She was a two-time All-Big Ten honoree, as well as an honorable mention All-American as a junior in 2001. Her 13.93 assist per game average is the best mark in OSU history. Virtue, a finalist for the 2003 OSU Big Ten Medal of Honor, will graduate with a degree in marketing.
Springs, who played football for the Buckeyes from 1994-96, was one of the top cornerbacks in college football, earning All-America and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year accolades. He helped lead the Buckeyes to Big Ten and Rose Bowl championships. Springs, who now plays for the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL, graduated with a degree in sociology.
STUDENT-ATHLETE GRADUATES Spring Quarter 2003
NAME SPORT DEGREE COLLEGE Abele, Jason Fencing GRD Electrical Engineering Allen, Amanda Women’s Gymnastics SWK Social Work Allen, Arthur Football SBS Psychology Anderson, Keaton Wrestling HEC Family Resource Mgt Azbell, Rusty Men’s Track and Field EDU Sport & Leisure Studies Berry, Gary Football HUM African American & Af Std Bojko, Kimberly Women’s Swimming HEC HDFS Bounds, Tracey Women’s Lacrosse HEC Family Resource Mgt Bucksa, Jayne Women’s Ice Hockey HEC Familyl Resource Mgt Butler, Derrick Men’s Track and Field ENG Chemical Engineering Calligaris, Sue Women’s Volleyball BUS International Business Castro, Claudia Women’s Tennis BUS Finance Cerveny, Jeffrey Men’s Track and Field ENG Mechanical Engineering Chain, Kathryn Softball EDU Special Education Chambers, Nicholette Women’s Track and Field EDU Sport & Leisure Studies Cheney, Nicholas Men’s Swimming BIO Biology Connolly, Sean Men’s Basketball HEC Family Resource Mgt Conwell, Christopher Football SBS Communication Crawford, Rhondalynn Women’s Track and Field ENG Industrial Engineering Day, John Patrick Football HUM History Dennis, Ryan Men’s Golf HEC Family Resource Mgt Derwart, Patricia Women’s Lacrosse GRD Sport & Leisure Studies Dillon, Peter Men’s Lacrosse AGR Food Science & Nutrition Doerr, Mary Women’s Gymnastics AMP Occupational Therapy Ellis, Amy Softball BUS Human Resources Engel, Mark Men’s Lacrosse HEC Family Resource Mgt Fankhauser, Mollie Women’s Golf HUM History Frohreich, Katie Women’s Ice Hockey HEC HDFS Frye, Kathleen Women’s Track and Field SBS Psychology Gentry, Natalie Women’s Track and Field BIO Molecular Genetics Gittings, Jessica Rowing SBS Psychology Guzel, Burak Men’s Swimming ENG CSE Hamilton, Elisabeth Women’s Soccer ASC Sociology Hayes, Janel Women’s Soccer HEC Family Resource Mgt Hill, Alicia Women’s Track and Field HUM English Hwang, Sung Men’s Lacrosse SBS Economics Hyatt, Suzanna Synchronized Swimming HUM Spanish Johnson, Melanie Women’s Diving EDU Exercise Science Kacsanek, Elizabeth Softball BUS International Business Kellogg, Meagan Rowing BUS Human Resources Knable, Christopher Cheerleading EDU Industrial & Tech Edu Kochalski, Benjamin Men’s Lacrosse ENG Civil Engineering Kolb, Leah Women’s Diving BUS Finance Kreimer, Elizabeth Synchronized Swimming ENG Mechanical Engineering Kreinbrink, Andrew Men’s Soccer HEC Family Resource Mgt Lanham, Sarah Women’s Soccer BUS Marketing Laning, Raymond Fencing SBS International Studies Link, Jennifer Softball SWK Social Work Lowe, Kimberly Women’s Lacrosse HUM African-Amer & African Std Lowry, Stacy Women’s Swimming HEC HDFS Marion, Mark Men’s Lacrosse SBS Economics Martin, L. Katherine Women’s Tennis BIO Biology Matko, Michelle Women’s Tennis BUS Marketing McCartney, Meghan Rowing SBS Speech & Hearing Mejia, Sharon Synchronized Swimming BIO Zoology Messmer, Amanda Women’s Swimming AMP Occupational Therapy Mitchell, Anna Women’s Soccer SBS Communication Mitchell, David Football BUS Human Resources Moraes, Carolina Synchronized Swimming ART Art Moraes, Isabela Synchronized Swimming BIO Biology Moyer, Kristine Synchronized Swimming HEC Family Resource Management Myers, Patrick Men’s Lacrosse EDU Sport & Leisure Studies Ng, Vincent Men’s Tennis BIO Biology Nickey, Donald Football BUS Risk Mgt & Insurance Norton, Michael Men’s Lacrosse BUS Marketing O’Rielley, Jeffrey Men’s Track and Field ENG Civil Engineering Peterson, J. Kenneth Football SBS Sociology Prenger, Gregory Baseball BUS Information Systems Rankin, Sarah Pistol ART Theatre Rathweg, Joshua Men’s Soccer BUS Operation Management Reedy, Kimberley Field Hockey HEC Human Nutrition Rincon, Monica Women’s Tennis BUS International Business Roth, Stacy Softball HEC HDFS Sendrowski, Kristin Women’s Swimming SBS Communications Smith, Matthew Men’s Gymnastics HEC Family Resource Mgt Smith, Nathan Baseball BUS Marketing Smith, Ryan Men’s Hockey EDU Sport & Leisure Studies Smith, Tamara Women’s Track and Field SBS Communication Springs ,Shawn Football SBS Sociology Stacy, Jeffrey Men’s Swimming HEC Family Resource Mgt Stafford, Michael Football SBS Sociology Steele, Benjamin Football HUM History Stellwag, John Rifle MPS Math Stepanovich, Nikola Wrestling HUM History Strausbaugh, Jericho Women’s Swimming HEC HDFS Thompson, Sarah Women’s Track and Field DEN Dentistry Thorpe, Emily Women’s Soccer GRD EDU T&L Tomaino, John Men’s Soccer BUS Marketing Trantow, Thomas Men’s Volleyball SBS Communications Treleaven, Amanda Women’s Swimming SBS Communication Tucker, Jack Football SBS Communications Van Nouhuys, Marye Field Hockey SBS Communications Virtue, Kathryn Women’s Volleyball BUS Marketing Vogler, Alexia Women’s Lacrosse BUS Accounting Walker, Joel Wrestling SBS Psychology Wiley, Tiffany Rowing SBS Psychology Wynk, Kevin Baseball BUS Accounting Ziernicki, Janine Women’s Gymnastics SBS Communications
