CU Honors Its Academic Best At 32nd Annual Recognition Ceremony

BOULDER – Over 150 University of Colorado student-athletes, including 46 with a perfect 4.0 grade point average, were honored for academic excellence Wednesday at the 32nd Annual Student-Athlete Recognition Ceremony at the Touchdown Club in the Dal Ward Athletic Center.

More than 250 people attended the event, including university faculty, staff, coaches and student-athletes. Student-athletes were invited if they held either a cumulative 3.0 GPA or a 3.0 GPA for spring 2023 and/or fall 2023 semesters. A full replay of the event can be watched here.

The Clancy A. Herbst Jr. Student-Athlete Achievement Award was presented to Emma Pollak from Track & Field. This award is given annual to those that overcome personal, academic, or emotional challenges to succeed both academically and athletically.

A junior on the track & field team, Pollak was diagnosed with severe depression, anxiety and body dysmorphia and has shared her experiences and story on social media on her Instagram and YouTube accounts and participated in two episodes of CU's Power to Perform podcast. Since January, she has attained personal bests in the 60-meters, 200-meters, 400-meters and 400-meter hurdles.

Four student-athletes were presented with the Morgan Family Buff Club Scholar-Athlete Awards, given to the sophomore, junior and male and female seniors with the highest cumulative GPA. The winners, awarded by academic year, are:

Luka Riley, Soph., Nordic Skiing, (Mechanical Engineering)
Charlie Welch, Jr., Cross Country, Track & Field (Psychology and Integrative Physiology Majors, Business and Philosophy Minors
Will Koch, Sr., Nordic Skiing (Psychology Major, Business Minor)
Frida Forman, Sr., Women's Basketball (Environmental Studies)

CU's Leadership Through Service team award was presented to women's basketball. It is awarded to the team whose student-athletes have demonstrated a special commitment to participating in local community outreach programs.

The women's basketball team continues to give back and serve the Boulder community in a variety of ways, including a trip to Children's Hospital, participating in programs like Read with the Buffs, A Precious Child, the Boulder Homeless Shelter, Team IMPACT, and more. They also visit the Frazier Meadows Retirement home and spend time with residence and help with the department's Angle Tree program over the holidays.

The Byron R. White Leadership and Initiative Award was presented to three student-athletes this year. The award is given to student-athletes who take outstanding initiative and demonstrate a strong commitment to leadership and service to the CU and Boulder communities.

Track & Field's Ian Gilmore (Ecology & Evolutionary Biology), and women's basketball's Charlotte Whittaker (Master's in Strategic Communication Design) and Kindyll Wetta (Integrative Physiology major, Business and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology minors) were named this year's winners.

Two students who work within athletics were presented with the Student Support Services award, given to those who work in the department and maintain above a 3.0 GPA while demonstrating strong commitment and leadership to Colorado Athletics. Zion Atwater, a Creative Content intern majoring in Strategic Communication and Media Production and Tanner Feith, a graduate assistant for both the Alumni C Club and the Athletic Communications Office earning a Master of Studies In Law won the award.

Other team awards were given to the team with the highest combined GAP for the Spring 2023 and Fall 2023 semesters. Two teams are honored, those that have their championship season in the fall and the other in the spring. The fall team award went to volleyball, which maintained a 3.30 cumulative GPA as a team. The spring semester championship team winner was women's skiing, which maintained a 3.69 GPA as a team. The most improved team award was presented to women's golf, which rose from a 3.31 GPA in fall 2022 to a 3.59 GPA in fall 2023.

Closing remarks were given by soccer's Jayden Newkirk, who is majoring in Integrative Physiology and obtaining a certificate in Public Health. She hit home on the point that this senior class had to deal with a lot, most losing their high school graduation ceremonies to the COVID pandemic and that also affecting their freshman year in college, as well.

"I would like to particularly congratulate the seniors in the room," Newkirk said. "I don't care what anyone says but we had it the worst. Losing senior year of high school, not having our freshmen year of college to meet new people in a new place. Yet, there is a reason each of us is in this room and finally getting to enjoy the fun traditions that come with the graduation season."

The 46 student-athletes who achieved a 4.0 GPA in the spring 2023 and/or fall 2023 semesters represent 16 different sports at CU.

Hanna Abrahamsson, Ski, Environmental Engineering, Fall 2023
Hunter Appleton, XC/Track, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Spring 2023
Jade Babcock-Chi, Soccer, Master's in Aerospace Engineering Sciences, Fall 2023
Eleanor Baran, XC/Track, Masters of the Environment, Spring 2023 & Fall 2023
Avery Bolles, Volleyball, Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences Major, Education Minor, Fall 2023
Hannah Cardenas, Soccer, Master's In Integrative Physiology, Spring 2023
Aidan Carr, Lacrosse, Integrative Physiology, Fall 2023
Allison Clark, Soccer, Master's in Organizational Leadership, Fall 2023
Maria Eidhagen Harrouch, Golf, Psychology, Fall 2023
Elena Exenberger, Skiing, Physiology and Media Studies Majors, Spring 2023 and Fall 2023
Alaina Fantaski, Track, Integrative Physiology, Fall 2023
Katie Fleckenstein, Ski, Psychology and Neuroscience Majors, Public Health Certificate, Fall 2023
Frida Formann, Basketball, Environmental Studies, Spring 2023 and Fall 2023
Brendan Fraser, Track, Certificate In Outdoor Recreation Economy, Fall 2023
Jalen Gabbidon, Basketball, Master's In Engineering Management, Spring 2023 and Fall 2023
Abigail Glynn, Track, Psychology and Leadership & Community Engagement Majors, Ethnic Studies and Philosophy Minors, Fall 2023
Lauren Gooding, Golf, Strategic Communication Major, Sports Media Minor, Fall 2023
Elena Grissom, Ski, Integrative Physiology Major, Economics Minor, Spring 2023
Joshka Gustav, Football, Psychology and Ethnic Studies Majors, Leadership Studies Minor, Critical Sports Studies Certificate, Spring 2023 and Fall 2023
Alexandra Hadrych, Volleyball, Master's in Organizational Leadership, Fall 2023
Bailey Hertenstein, XC/Track, Master's in Integrative Physiology, Spring 2023
Noah Hibbard, XC/Track, Master's In Organizational Leadership, Fall 2023
Eve Hritzuk, Lacrosse, Sociology, Fall 2023
Travis Hunter, Football, Anthropology, Fall 2023
Sabrina Iqbal, Golf, Master's In Organizational Leadership, Fall 2023
William Koch, Ski, Psychology Major, Business Minor, Spring 2023 and Fall 2023
Joelle McDonald, XC/Track, Economics Major, Leadership Studies and Spanish Minors; Master's in Creative Technology and Design, Spring 2023, Fall 2023
Samantha McGee, Lacrosse, Master's in Organizational Leadership, Spring 2023
Alisa Meraz-Fishbein, XC/Track, Journalism Major; Business and Creative Writing Minors, Spring 2023
Charlie Offerdahl, Football, Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, Spring 2023
Gabrielle Orie, XC/Track, Master's in Integrative Physiology, Spring 2023
James Overberg, XC/Track, Mechanical Engineering, Fall 2023
Sterling Parker, Volleyball, Psychology Major, Sociology and Sports Media Minors, Critical Sports Studies Certificate, Spring 2023
Elizabeth Phillips, Lacrosse, Integrative Physiology and Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences Majors, Care, Health and Resilience Certificate, Spring 2023.
Ellen Puzak, Tennis, Applied Mathematics Major, Physics Minor, Spring 2023
Luka Riley, Ski, Mechanical Engineering, Spring 2023 and Fall 2023
Colton Romig, Track, Mechanical Engineering, Fall 2023
Jillian Schneggenburger, Volleyball, Strategic Communication Major, Business Minor, Spring 2023
Tyler Scholl, XC/Track, Strategic Communication Major, Sports Media Minor, Fall 2023
Jaylyn Sherrod, Basketball, Master's In Criminal Justice, Fall 2023
Deion Smith, Football, Master's In Strategic Communication Design, Spring 2023
Lola Stanley, Soccer, Communication Major, Sports Media Minor, Fall 2023
Emilea Stepaniuk, Volleyball, Integrative Physiology Major, Business Minor, Fall 2023
Danny Tragarz, Track, Environmental Engineering, Fall 2023
Karly van Leer, Lacrosse, Strategic Communication, Spring 2023
Charlie Welch, XC/Track, Psychology and Integrative Physiology Majors, Business and Philosophy Minors, Fall 2023

CU Honors Its Academic Best At 32nd Annual Recognition Ceremony

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