April 24, 2008

LOGAN, Utah - Utah State's athletics department recognized 152 student-athletes and 14 managers and student trainers for achieving a 3.2 grade point average at the 15th annual Joe E. and Elma Whitesides Scholar-Athlete Luncheon here Thursday. To be eligible for the honor, student-athletes must have a cumulative 3.2 grade point average or have posted a 3.2 GPA during the last two semesters.

In all, approximately 47 percent of USU's student-athletes earned a 3.2 GPA to qualify for the awards.

The top honoree during the luncheon was soccer player Shannon Ross who was recognized as the Joe E. Whitesides Award recipient. The senior from Fort Worth, Texas (Fossil Ridge HS) posted a 3.90 grade-point average while majoring in exercise science.

As a three-year letterwinner on Utah State's soccer team, Ross appeared in 55 matches and earned academic all-Western Athletic Conference honors three times. During her senior season she helped Utah State to a 10-11-0 overall record, including a 5-2-0 mark in the WAC.

"This award means a lot because it shows that we are all well-rounded as athletes and we can do things outside the playing field," said Ross. "My number one goal has always been academics, I want to make something of my life and I've always wanted to give back."

Ross, who will graduate with her bachelor's degree this spring, plans on beginning her graduate degree work this fall at either the University of Utah, Duke or Wake Forest, in an effort to become a physician's assistant.

Thirteen of the past 14 recipients of the top individual honor have been women as the only male in that time to win the award was Mike Puzey from men's basketball in 2003.

Utah State also handed out team honors as the women's tennis team was named the top academic team with less than 20 members, while the women's track team was the top academic team with more than 20 members. Women's tennis also received the most improved academic team award.

Melanie Leishman from the register's office was presented the Meet The Challenge Award for her contributions to academics and athletics, and Bryan Stephenson was given the Outstanding Tutor Award for his work with USU's student-athletes.

The Whitesides honors started in 1953 by former USU athlete, coach and athletics director Joe E. Whitesides.

2008 UTAH STATE WHITESIDES SPECIAL HONORS
Whitesides Winner - Shannon Ross, Women's Soccer
Meet The Challenge - Melanie Leishman
Outstanding Tutor - Bryan Stephenson
Top Teams (20-plus members)
1. Women's Track
2. Women's Soccer
3. Men's Track
Top Teams (less than 20 members)
1. Women's Tennis
2. Women's Cross Country
3. Volleyball
Most Improved Teams
1. Women's Tennis
2. Men's Cross Country
3. Men's Basketball

2008 UTAH STATE WHITESIDES HONOREES
Jon. M. Huntsman School of Business
Ryan Bohm, Football
Brandon Broadhead, Golf
Chase Griffiths, Football
Heather Haak, Softball
Heather Heinrich, Gymnastics
Tyler Labrum, Golf
Jase McCormick, Football
LeeAnn Palo, Women's Basketball
Sydne Porter, Soccer
Taylor Price, Men's Track & Field
Preston Robinson, Football
Danielle Schaap, Volleyball
Hailey Swenson, Women's Tennis
Matthew Toone, Men's Track & Field
Thad Truman, Golf
Chris Ulinski, Football
College of Science
Rebecca Anderson, Volleyball
Jeremy Bearss, Football
Cortnie Broadus, Women's Track & Field
Camryn Froerer, Manager
Taylor Mackay, Men's Track & Field
Cody Mart, Football
Kelly Patterson, Gymnastics
Nicole Rupp, Softball
Jennifer Schiess, Women's Track & Field
Alison Taylor, Women's Track & Field
College of Engineering
Lukas Bouton, Men's Tennis
James Drake, Men's Track & Field
Palmer Hawkins, Men's Track & Field
Vance Twitchell, Men's Track & Field
College of Education & Human Services
Justine Baugh, Women's Track & Field
Alan Bishop, Football
Trisha Cardon, Soccer
Lacey Christenson, Soccer
Candice Clark, Soccer
Chris Curtis, Football
Jessica Darrow-Hammer, Soccer
Kira Datwyler, Women's Track & Field
Tyler Ellis, Men's Track & Field
Chelsea Falslev, Soccer
Nicole Felley, Gymnastics
Josh Flores, Football
Jared Glenn, Men's Track & Field
Jennifer Gross, Women's Basketball
Nnamdi Gwacham, Football
Blake Hadfield, Men's Track & Field
Andra Hansen, Soccer
Vanessa Hawkins, Women's Track & Field
Lauren Hansen, Soccer
Kory Hobbs, Football
Abby Hunt, Soccer
Jacob Hutton, Football
Washington Igboeli, Football
Brad Jakel, Football
Kimiko Kamo, Women's Track & Field
April Knighton, Women's Track & Field
Krista Larson, Women's Track & Field
Melissa Larson, Volleyball
Lindsay Lauro, Soccer
Stacie Lifferth, Women's Track & Field
Marie Livingston, Women's Tennis
Devin Markle, Gymnastics
Amanda Nielson, Volleyball
Jordan McQueen, Manager
Shanna Nielsen, Men's Track & Field
Kiersten Nilsson, Soccer
Nick Oldroyd, Trainer
Katherine Omann, Gymnastics
Ana Pares, Women's Basketball
Dana Peart, Soccer
Taylor Richards, Women's Basketball
Ana Rickard-Whitfield, Gymnastics
Shannon Ross, Soccer
Aimee Sauvageau, Women's Track & Field
Lindsey Shipley, Women's Basketball
Lindsey Smart, Soccer
Erin Stratton, Women's Track & Field
Bridgette Strickland, Women's Tennis
Katie Thatcher, Women's Track & Field
Michelle Theurer, Women's Track & Field
Reve Tortel, Women's Track & Field
Kalie Vickers, Women's Track & Field
Cachet Webb, Women's Track & Field
Lydia Whitehead, Women's Basketball
Lisa Willardson, Soccer
Undeclared
Jakob Asplund, Men's Tennis
Katie Astle, Volleyball
Blake Bolen, Men's Track & Field
Lyndsie Boone, Gymnastics
Peter Caldwell, Football
Ashlee Cannon, Women's Track & Field
Alice Coddington, Women's Basketball
Christa Drury, Gymnastics
Jessica Duhadway, Women's Track & Field
Camille Fehlberg, Women's Track & Field
Rachel George, Volleyball
Nicholas Gittins, Manager
Jervon Graves, Football
Maria Halton, Women's Track & Field
Daniel Heath, Golf
Charles Hopkins, Men's Track & Field
Heidi Hopkins, Women's Track & Field
Erica Huelsmann, Gymnastics
Katelyn Jensen, Women's Track & Field
Jason Jeppsen, Men's Track & Field
Nicole Johnson, Women's Basketball
Camarie Jones, Women's Track & Field
Derrick Keddington, Football
Tylee Landon, Softball
Ben Longshore, Football
Chelsea Marquardt, Gymnastics
Tyler Newbold, Men's Basketball
Heather Pond, Soccer
Jake Poulson, Football
Stefani Shiozaki, Soccer
Kandace Shoell, Women's Track & Field
Brad Theurer, Football
Shasta Tyteca, Softball
Mark Watterson, Football
College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
Michael Banks, Men's Tennis
Carolyn Bleadorn, Manager
Rebecca Bostwick, Women's Track & Field
Jaycee Carroll, Men's Basketball
Benjamin Childs, Football
Amy Egan, Women's Track & Field
Ali Griffin, Soccer
Brianna Harris, Women's Tennis
Jeanine Hernandez, Softball
Heather Hillier, Volleyball
Simone Hubbard, Softball
Kris Hymas, Volleyball
Leon Jackson III, Football
Nathan Lloyd, Men's Track & Field
Alyssa Lowry, Soccer
Jake Mabey, Men's Track & Field
Cameron Madsen, Men's Track & Field
Frank Maile, Football
Brooke McNaughton, Women's Track & Field
Logan Moore, Men's Track & Field
Jenna Oldroyd, Volleyball
Melissa Osterloh, Volleyball
Ted Stokes, Football
Steven Strickland, Men's Track & Field
Megan Tschida, Gymnastics
Jonas Tyden, Men's Tennis
Britney Watts, Women's Tennis
Gary Wilkinson, Men's Basketball
Heath Wing, Men's Track & Field
Sarah Young, Women's Track & Field
College of Agriculture
Caroline Berry, Women's Track & Field
Jennifer Day, Women's Track & Field
Jennifer Twitchell, Women's Track & Field
College of Natural Resources
Kim Quinn, Women's Track & Field
Casey Snider, Men's Track & Field
School of Graduate Studies
Dasheek Akwenye, Men's Track & Field
Josh Anderson, Football
Amber Barlow, Trainer
Jimmy Bohm, Football
Chad Eichten, Trainer
Michael Green, Football
Derek Hoke, Football
Tomomi Kamijo, Trainer
Alexandra Martin, Manager
Brandon Payne, Trainer
Carla Southwick, Trainer
Michell Vlahos, Manager