Student-Athletes Recognized with Academic Awards
4/7/2025 7:30:00 PM | General
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State Department of Athletics recognized outstanding scholar-athletes and teams with postgraduate scholarships and awards Monday evening at the 2025 Scarlet and Graymies awards ceremony.Â
Â
The winners of the prestigious Big Ten Medal of Honor are football's Cody Simon and Makenna Webster of the field hockey and women's ice hockey teams.
The award, given to the most outstanding male and female senior student-athlete on each Big Ten campus each year, is awarded to the respective male and female student-athlete who has "attained the greatest proficiency in athletics and scholastic work." Finalists are selected based on their outstanding accomplishments in the classroom, on the field, and as a leader and role model within their program.
The men's finalists were Michael Adedokun (soccer), Dylan D'Emilio (wrestling), Kameron Nelson (gymnastics), Cody Simon (football) and Hayden Tobias (track and field), and the women's finalists are Leah Bertrand (track and field), Jenna Buglioni (ice hockey), Kailyn Dudukovich (soccer), Teresa Ivan (swimming) and Makenna Webster (field hockey). Read more on the finalists HERE.
Â
A total of 805 student-athletes were named Ohio State Scholar-Athletes this year. The complete list of Ohio State Scholar-Athletes can be found HERE.
Â
The recipients of the Eugene D. Smith Award were Bobby Van Buren of the men's lacrosse team and Webster. The award was established in 2024 to honor and recognize Gene Smith for his commitment and dedication to the student-athletes he served for 19 years. Each team is encouraged to nominate one student-athlete who embodies the mission of The Eugene D. Smith Leadership Institute by exhibiting the highest level of character and leadership. The initial award recipients were selected by Sheila and Gene Smith.
Â
Hayden Tobias, a member of the men's track and field program, was the recipient of the A.K. and Judith A. Pierce Phoenix Award, which is given to a student-athlete who has excelled in academics, athletics and personal growth attained through perseverance and hard work. The award is to be used to attend graduate or professional school at Ohio State, with preference given to someone who intends to enroll in the Fisher College of Business.
Â
Fencer Maxwell Rodney received The John Dana Cole Award. The award, established in 1966 by a gift through the Development Fund from John D. Cole, provides a one-time stipend for post-graduate studies at Ohio State. The recipient of the scholarship is a student-athlete who shows the promise of success in his/her chosen field and has demonstrated academic achievement (3.00 GPA minimum).
Â
Megan O'Connor of the rowing team was the recipient of the Leann Grimes-Davidge Award. The Leann Grimes-Davidge Award, which is a tribute to Grimes-Davidge's contributions to athletics at Ohio State, is given annually to a female athlete who reflects Grimes-Davidge's outstanding qualities of athletic performance, scholarship, character, campus or community involvement and leadership. A member of the Ohio State women's tennis team, Grimes-Davidge won four state and Big Ten titles. She graduated from Ohio State summa cum laude and received her master's degree from Miami University where she served as the head women's tennis coach.
Â
Varsity O recognized teams for their academic performance. Men's volleyball won the most improved large team grade-point average, while men's gymnastics had the most improved grade-point average among the teams with smaller rosters. The women's hockey (large) and women's golf (small) teams were honored for posting the top team grade-point averages.
Â
Leah Sax of the women's lacrosse team and Tobias were honored with the Varsity O Alumni Society Bill Wentz Postgraduate Scholarship Award. The Varsity O award provides each scholar-athlete selected (one male/one female) with a one-time stipend of $4,000 for postgraduate studies at Ohio State. Winners are selected based not only on their academic and athletic success, but for their participation in community service, charitable works and non-athletics activities and organizations at Ohio State.
Â
The Corwin A. Fergus Memorial Award was given to women's swimmer Katherine Zenick, Rodney and Sax. Fergus scholars are male or female student-athletes who have excelled in athletics, achieved academically (3.00 GPA minimum), demonstrated positive qualities of character and citizenship and shown potential for success in a graduate or professional program. Established in 1967, the award is given in memory of Corwin A. Fergus, a member of the Ohio State football team (1912-14), a graduate of the Ohio State School of Law and later a successful businessman. The award reflects his strong commitment to the pursuit of academic and athletic excellence and his positive contributions to society. The $5,000 postgraduate scholarships, which each are renewable for up to three years, can be utilized for graduate study or professional programs at Ohio State.
Â
O'Connor and women's swimmer Mairin O'Brien were the recipients of the M/I Homes Foundation Award, which has been presented annually since 1976. The award was one of the first designed specifically to recognize and promote women's achievements in intercollegiate athletics at Ohio State. It provides an outstanding female scholar-athlete $5,000 for postgraduate studies at Ohio State. The award is based on demonstrated athletic and academic success as well as community contributions through involvement in civic or university organizations.
Â
Six Buckeyes were selected for the Woody and Anne Hayes Award – Brynn Ammerman from women's lacrosse, Arthur Ashton from men's gymnastics, women's fencing's Miranda Freedman, women's tennis' Sydni Ratliff, men's volleyball's Kyle Teune and Zenick. The award, established in 1979, provides one or more varsity athletes with financial assistance for postgraduate studies. The recipients of this scholarship are student-athletes who have demonstrated academic achievement (3.00 GPA minimum) and leadership qualities.
Â
Click HERE to view the Scholar Athlete Awards Photo Gallery.Â
Â
The winners of the prestigious Big Ten Medal of Honor are football's Cody Simon and Makenna Webster of the field hockey and women's ice hockey teams.
The award, given to the most outstanding male and female senior student-athlete on each Big Ten campus each year, is awarded to the respective male and female student-athlete who has "attained the greatest proficiency in athletics and scholastic work." Finalists are selected based on their outstanding accomplishments in the classroom, on the field, and as a leader and role model within their program.
The men's finalists were Michael Adedokun (soccer), Dylan D'Emilio (wrestling), Kameron Nelson (gymnastics), Cody Simon (football) and Hayden Tobias (track and field), and the women's finalists are Leah Bertrand (track and field), Jenna Buglioni (ice hockey), Kailyn Dudukovich (soccer), Teresa Ivan (swimming) and Makenna Webster (field hockey). Read more on the finalists HERE.
Â
A total of 805 student-athletes were named Ohio State Scholar-Athletes this year. The complete list of Ohio State Scholar-Athletes can be found HERE.
Â
The recipients of the Eugene D. Smith Award were Bobby Van Buren of the men's lacrosse team and Webster. The award was established in 2024 to honor and recognize Gene Smith for his commitment and dedication to the student-athletes he served for 19 years. Each team is encouraged to nominate one student-athlete who embodies the mission of The Eugene D. Smith Leadership Institute by exhibiting the highest level of character and leadership. The initial award recipients were selected by Sheila and Gene Smith.
Â
Hayden Tobias, a member of the men's track and field program, was the recipient of the A.K. and Judith A. Pierce Phoenix Award, which is given to a student-athlete who has excelled in academics, athletics and personal growth attained through perseverance and hard work. The award is to be used to attend graduate or professional school at Ohio State, with preference given to someone who intends to enroll in the Fisher College of Business.
Â
Fencer Maxwell Rodney received The John Dana Cole Award. The award, established in 1966 by a gift through the Development Fund from John D. Cole, provides a one-time stipend for post-graduate studies at Ohio State. The recipient of the scholarship is a student-athlete who shows the promise of success in his/her chosen field and has demonstrated academic achievement (3.00 GPA minimum).
Â
Megan O'Connor of the rowing team was the recipient of the Leann Grimes-Davidge Award. The Leann Grimes-Davidge Award, which is a tribute to Grimes-Davidge's contributions to athletics at Ohio State, is given annually to a female athlete who reflects Grimes-Davidge's outstanding qualities of athletic performance, scholarship, character, campus or community involvement and leadership. A member of the Ohio State women's tennis team, Grimes-Davidge won four state and Big Ten titles. She graduated from Ohio State summa cum laude and received her master's degree from Miami University where she served as the head women's tennis coach.
Â
Varsity O recognized teams for their academic performance. Men's volleyball won the most improved large team grade-point average, while men's gymnastics had the most improved grade-point average among the teams with smaller rosters. The women's hockey (large) and women's golf (small) teams were honored for posting the top team grade-point averages.
Â
Leah Sax of the women's lacrosse team and Tobias were honored with the Varsity O Alumni Society Bill Wentz Postgraduate Scholarship Award. The Varsity O award provides each scholar-athlete selected (one male/one female) with a one-time stipend of $4,000 for postgraduate studies at Ohio State. Winners are selected based not only on their academic and athletic success, but for their participation in community service, charitable works and non-athletics activities and organizations at Ohio State.
Â
The Corwin A. Fergus Memorial Award was given to women's swimmer Katherine Zenick, Rodney and Sax. Fergus scholars are male or female student-athletes who have excelled in athletics, achieved academically (3.00 GPA minimum), demonstrated positive qualities of character and citizenship and shown potential for success in a graduate or professional program. Established in 1967, the award is given in memory of Corwin A. Fergus, a member of the Ohio State football team (1912-14), a graduate of the Ohio State School of Law and later a successful businessman. The award reflects his strong commitment to the pursuit of academic and athletic excellence and his positive contributions to society. The $5,000 postgraduate scholarships, which each are renewable for up to three years, can be utilized for graduate study or professional programs at Ohio State.
Â
O'Connor and women's swimmer Mairin O'Brien were the recipients of the M/I Homes Foundation Award, which has been presented annually since 1976. The award was one of the first designed specifically to recognize and promote women's achievements in intercollegiate athletics at Ohio State. It provides an outstanding female scholar-athlete $5,000 for postgraduate studies at Ohio State. The award is based on demonstrated athletic and academic success as well as community contributions through involvement in civic or university organizations.
Â
Six Buckeyes were selected for the Woody and Anne Hayes Award – Brynn Ammerman from women's lacrosse, Arthur Ashton from men's gymnastics, women's fencing's Miranda Freedman, women's tennis' Sydni Ratliff, men's volleyball's Kyle Teune and Zenick. The award, established in 1979, provides one or more varsity athletes with financial assistance for postgraduate studies. The recipients of this scholarship are student-athletes who have demonstrated academic achievement (3.00 GPA minimum) and leadership qualities.
Â
Click HERE to view the Scholar Athlete Awards Photo Gallery.Â
No videos available.
