29 Ohio State Student-Athletes Receive Degrees at Winter Commencement – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/23/2004 12:00:00 AM | General
March 23, 2004
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Twenty nine Ohio State student-athletes received their bachelor’s degrees following winter quarter Sunday at Value City Arena. Among the group was All-Big Ten football standout Craig Krenzel and teammate B.J. Sander, winner of the 2003 Ray Guy Award, an honor given annually to the nation’s best punter.
Krenzel was the 2003 Draddy Award winner, which often is referred to as the “Academic Heisman.” The Draddy Award is given to the nation’s top scholar-athlete and awards a $25,000 postgraduate scholarship.
A molecular genetics major, Krenzel was equally successful in the classroom and on the gridiron. He led Ohio State to their first national championship in 32 years with a title in 2003. Named 2003 Academic All-American of the Year, Krenzel received The Sporting News Socrates Academic Award and recorded a perfect 4.0 in four quarters. A three-time Academic All-Big Ten Conference selection, he received the Ohio State Academic Achievement Award three times, Dean’s List recognition six times and the Ohio State Exceptional Academic Award 11 times.
A two-year starter at quarterback, Krenzel led the Buckeyes to a perfect 14-0 season including a victory over top-ranked and defending national champion Miami in the 2003 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, of which he was named Offensive MVP.
Andy Groom, another Buckeye punter, also received his degree. Groom, a former walkon, punted for Ohio State throughout the 2002 national championship season.
A pair of Ohio State All-America wrestlers, who helped the Buckeyes to a No. 3 finish in the 2004 NCAA title meet, also received their degrees. Blake Kaplan finished his career with a fifth-place finish in the 184-pound weight class to earn All-America honors last Saturday in St. Louis. Teammate Jeff Ratliff finished eighth in the 149-pound weight division to earn All-America accolades as well.
Basketball player LaToya Turner went through graduation ceremonies on the off day between the first and second rounds of the 2004 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. Turner helped the Buckeyes to an opening round win over West Virginia last Saturday, graduated Sunday and then played her final game in the second round of the tournament Monday, a loss to Boston College. The games were played at St. John Arena in Columbus.
Raj Bhavsar of the men’s gymnastics team, earned his business degree after a decorated career with the Buckeyes. He was the 2002 Big Ten Gymnast of the Year, the 2002 Ohio State Male Athlete of the Year, the 2002 NCAA All-Around champion and winner of numerous other awards throughout his career.
STUDENT-ATHLETE GRADUATES
Winter Quarter 2004
| NAME | SPORT | DEGREE, COLLEGE |
| Adams, John | Football | B.S., College of Food, Ag. & Environmental Sciences |
| Adcock, Katherine | Cheerleading | B.S., College of Human Ecology |
| Bellisari, Steve | Football | B.S., College of Math and Physical Sciences |
| Bhavsar, Raj | Gymnastics | B.S., Max M. Fisher College of Business |
| Broccoli, Peter | Ice Hockey | B.S., College of Human Ecology |
| Daulton, Elizabeth | Cheerleading | B.A., College of Social and Behavioral Sciences |
| Finn, Michael | Gymnastics | Ph.D., College of Biological Sciences |
| Greig, Sheri | Gymnastics | B.S., College of Education |
| Groom, Andrew | Football | B.S., Max M. Fisher College of Business |
| Hieber, Ryan | Wrestling | B.S., Max M. Fisher College of Business |
| Hudik, Christopher | Track | B.S., Austin E. Knowlton School of Architecture |
| Kaplan, Blake | Wrestling | B.S., Max M. Fisher College of Business |
| Krenzel, Craig | Football | B.S., College of Biological Sciences |
| Lafleche, Miguel | Ice Hockey | B.S., College of Education |
| Lageman, Jonathan | Track | B.S., College of Engineering |
| Laratta, Edward | Baseball | B.S., College of Human Ecology |
| Lehman, Mark | Volleyball | B.S., College of Education |
| Luke, Curtis | Football | B.S., College of Education |
| Miceli, Nicholas | Lacrosse | B.S., College of Human Ecology |
| Miller, Jennifer | Soccer | B.S., College of Engineering |
| Ogren, Lindsey | Ice Hockey | B.S., College of Education |
| Pagac, Frederick | Football | B.S., Max M. Fisher College of Business |
| Pahl, Kathryn | Cheerleading | B.S., College of Human Ecology |
| Pavlas, Luke | Ice Hockey | B.S., College of Human Ecology |
| Ratliff, Jeff | Wrestling | B.A., College of Social and Behavioral Sciences |
| Sander, William | Football | B.S., College of Food, Ag. & Environmental Sciences |
| Traeger, Jacob | Soccer | B.S., College of Human Ecology |
| Turner, LaToya | Basketball | B.A., College of The Arts |
| Wilson, Shannon | Lacrosse | B.A., College of Social and Behavioral Sciences |
