Fedor, Saarel Earn Pac-12 Postgraduate Scholarships

SAN FRANCISCO — Former soccer player Courtney Fedor and cross country/track and field runner Ben Saarel are the University of Colorado's Pac-12 Postgraduate Scholarship recipients for the 2019-20 academic year.

The scholarships, worth $9,000 each, are awarded to up to two student-athletes from each Pac-12 school annually. These worthy student-athletes maintained a minimum 3.0 grade point average and demonstrated a commitment to education, campus and community involvement, and leadership.

Fedor, a defender, played in 51 games during her four years with the Buffs, which included six starts. As a senior in 2017, she earned four starts in 20 games and played in 581 minutes while CU recorded a 12-6-4 record. She helped CU reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament that season. While Fedor was on the pitch, CU had a 0.46 GAA.

A two-time Academic Pac-12 honorable mention selection, she graduated from CU with a degree in integrative physiology and a 3.81 GPA. She is pursuing a master of science in physician assistant studies at DeSales University.

Saarel, Colorado's record holder in the 1,500-meter run, was a four-time All-American on the cross country team and was part of two NCAA and four Pac-12 Championship cross country teams. As a senior, he recorded a third-place finish at the 2016 NCAA Cross Country Championship. He also earned five All-America honors on the track and was the 2018 Pac-12 5K Champion.

He graduated from CU with a degree in engineering physics and a minor in computer science while recording a 3.98 GPA. A three-time Academic All-American, he was named the Pac-12 Men's Scholar-Athlete of the Year for cross country (2016) and track and field (2018) following his senior season of eligibility in both. He is continuing his education at the University of California where he is pursuing a degree in physics.

To be selected for a Pac-12 Postgraduate Scholarship, a student-athlete must have:

Maintained an overall undergraduate minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.00 (based on a 4.00 scale);
Completed his/her final season of intercollegiate athletics eligibility in all sports or be in his/her final year of undergraduate study, having exhausted athletics eligibility in all sports;
Been accepted to or already be enrolled as a full-time student in a graduate or professional program at an accredited institution, or in a postgraduate program for which an undergraduate degree is required for admission;
Performed with distinction as a member of a varsity team; and
Exemplified behavior, both in competition and beyond, in a manner that has brought credit to the student-athlete, the institution, and intercollegiate athletics.
Student-athletes awarded this scholarship plan to pursue postgraduate education in best-in-class graduate programs at some of the most prestigious institutions in the world, including several Pac-12 universities. They will study everything from medicine and law to business, dentistry, engineering, education, and more.

In 1999, the Postgraduate Scholarship Program was created to both honor and financially assist some of the Conference's most outstanding athletes and scholars as they continue their educations and prepare for careers in their chosen industries.

Players Mentioned

Ben Saarel

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