Kjoelhamar, Van Dyke Earn Postgraduate Scholarship

IRVING, Texas - Recent University of Colorado graduates Vegard Kjoelhamar and Max Van Dyke have been selected to receive 2010-11 Dr. Prentice Gautt Postgraduate Scholarships.

Kjoelhamar, a native of Jar, Norway, has been accepted into the MBA program at CU and is petitioning the NCAA for an additional year of eligability. To date in three seasons on the trails, he is a five-time All-American with four of those five honors coming on the first-team. He was critical in the Buffs push for the 2011 NCAA Championship where he finished second in the freestyle race and third in the classical race, earning a pair of first-team All-America honors. He has won five races in his career, including the individual NCAA Championship in the freestyle event in 2009, the same season he was named the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association MVP.

Van Dyke, a native of Vail, Colo., was a member of the track and field team and competed in the throws for the Buffs. She recorded personal records in all three outdoor events (shot put, hammer and javelin) this past spring and PR'd in the weight throw during the indoor season. Van Dyke graduated with a degree in management in May and had a grade point average of 3.406. She was a constant on the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll and was a two-time selection to the Academic All-Big 12 team.

The scholarships are named in honor of the late Dr. Prentice Gautt, a former Big 12 Conference staff member and student services' pioneer who passed away in March 2005. The list of all-time recipients has grown to 273 since the inception of the league in 1996-97. Additional funding increased scholarship award winners to two per member institution in 2002-03.

To date the Big 12 has provided $1,835,600 for postgraduate education. The individual grants began at $2,500 in 1996-97, were raised to $5,000 in 1999, increased to $6,900 for 2004-05 and climbed to $7,500 in 2006-07.

Criteria for the awards includes a cumulative grade point average of 3.500 on a 4.000 scale, participation in at least two years of intercollegiate athletics at the nominee's respective institution and completion of athletics' eligibility. The student-athletes also must graduate from their respective member institutions within 15 months of their selection for a postgraduate scholarship and are expected to enroll in graduate/professional schools within two years of graduation. Three faculty representatives, one senior woman administrator and one director of athletics form the selection panel for the awards.

Colorado University Athletics