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SPRINGFIELD — A total of 106 current and former Missouri State University student-athletes will participate in the university’s commencement ceremonies Friday at Great Southern Bank Arena. These student-athletes have completed, or will be completing, their undergraduate and post-graduate requirements this spring and summer.
For the sixth straight year, students who are on track to complete their degrees during the summer term will also be recognized with the spring graduating class.
Including 79 student-athletes designated as spring graduates and 27 summer graduates, a total of 106 Bears will be “turning pro” in their various fields of study this week.
A record total of 142 Missouri State student-athletes will have completed their degrees during the 2022-23 academic year. That total includes 36 individuals who finished their program requirements in December of 2022 at the conclusion of the fall term.
The MSU spring student-athlete class of 79 graduates matches the third-largest on record, while the 142 total for the academic year surpasses the previous departmental record of 140 set in 2020-21.
The top commencement classes on record for Missouri State Athletics are now: May 2021 (82), May 2017 (81), May 2023 (79), May 2019 (79), May 2020 (75), May 2015 (73), May 2018 (71), May 2006 (64), May 2022 (64) and May 2016 (63).
Over the last 10 years, MSU commencement exercises have seen 1,247 student-athletes earn degrees, while 389 former Bears have graduated over the past three years alone. This year also marks the tenth consecutive year with 100 or more graduating student-athletes.
Football (22), women’s track & field (19), women’s soccer (8) and women’s swimming & diving (8) paced all sports in terms of individual graduates for the 2023 spring and summer class.
The 2023 spring and summer commencement list also includes 23 MSU student-athletes graduating with academic honors and 25 earning post-graduate degrees.
Five student-athletes earned the top academic honor of summa cum laude (###) with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.90 or higher, including: Maddie Augustine (women’s soccer), Carly Hendrickson (women’s track & field), Sam Joyce (men’s soccer), Alyson Piskulic (women’s tennis), and Ashley Rolewicz (women’s track & field). Rolewicz will also be recognized for her work with a more rigorous curriculum in Missouri State’s Honors College.
Nine student-athletes compiled GPAs in the 3.75-3.89 range to earn magna cum laude (##) distinction: Jordan Boyce (women’s swimming & diving), Kyli Jackson (women’s soccer), Pawel Krawczyk (men’s swimming & diving), Rachel Lacey (women’s track & field), Jade Loftness (women’s soccer), Ingrid Perkins (women’s soccer), Karli Sewell (women’s swimming & diving), Jacie Taber (softball), and Jordan Wenner (women’s swimming & diving).
Nine additional student-athletes finished with GPAs in the 3.50 to 3.74 range to garner cum laude (#) laurels, including: Grace Beahan (women’s swimming & diving), Amelia Flynn (volleyball), Lewis Green (men’s soccer), Calandra Henry (women’s track & field), Matt Jones (men’s soccer), Ben Martinez (football), Tess Weakly (softball), Melissa Wolk (women’s track & field), and Johanna Wollenhaupt (women’s golf).
Missouri State University will confer a total of 2,901 degrees during ceremonies at Great Southern Bank Arena on Friday, including 1,986 bachelor’s degrees, 769 master’s degrees, 116 doctorate degrees and 30 specialist degrees. Beyond the standard expectations, the university will recognize 61 students for their work with a more rigorous curriculum in Missouri State’s Honors College. The university will recognize 221 students who will graduate summa cum laude, 252 who will graduate magna cum laude, and 380 who will graduate cum laude.
Ceremonies will take place at 9 a.m., 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. at Great Southern Bank Arena on the Springfield campus.
By sport, here are Missouri State’s spring and summer 2023 graduating student-athletes:
Baseball (7): Forrest Barnes (Exercise & Movement Science), Peyton Carson (General Studies), Mason Greer (General Studies), Adam Link (M.B.A. Business Administration), Anthony Socci (Criminology and Criminal Justice), Logan Thomazin (General Business), Jared Viertel (General Business).
Beach Volleyball (4): Madalyn Bass (Individualized / Environmental Geoscience Undergraduate Certificate)*, Tylar Garrett (Exercise & Movement Science), Grayson Hall (M.B.A. Business Administration / Leadership Graduate Certificate), Tory Penick (Professional Sales).
Men’s Basketball (5): Spencer Brown (M.P.S. Professional Studies / Sports Management Graduate Certificate), Chris Cooks (General Studies)*, Matthew Lee (General Studies)*, Kendle Moore (Individualized Studies Graduate Certificate), Dalen Ridgnal (General Studies)*.
Football (21): Wes Anusiem (General Studies)*, Ethan Barnett (Exercise & Movement Science), Landon Bebee (Sport & Park Administration), Caden Bolz (General Studies), Jahod Booker (M.P.S. Professional Studies / Sports Management Graduate Certificate / Professional Studies Graduate Certificate), Tico Brown (General Studies)*, Carson Buddemeyer (General Business), Grant Burkett (General Business), Jeremiah Carter (General Studies)*, Lucas Eatman (General Studies)*, Sean Fitzgerald (M.B.A. Business Administration), Nick Hessefort (Communication Studies)*, Jeremiah Johnson (Psychology)*, Ben Kirse (Construction Management), Allen Love (General Studies), Ethan Mackowski (General Business), Celdon Manning (Administrative Management)*, Ben Martinez (General Studies)#, Ty Scott (General Studies)*, Jaylen Stewart (General Studies), Jalen Williams (Psychology).
Men’s Golf (5): Eric Byun (Microbiology & Biotechnology), Austin Gillund (General Business)*, Max Kreikemeier (Risk Management & Insurance), JP Lavalle (Digital Film & Television Production)*, Carter Lee (Exercise & Movement Science).
Men’s Soccer (4): Lorenzo Dentale (Economics), Lewis Green (Economics)#, Matt Jones (Entrepreneurship)#*, Sam Joyce(Accounting)###.
Men’s Swimming & Diving (5): Trevor Fischer (M.B.A. Business Administration), Jonathan Hill (Corporate & Investments Finance), Pawel Krawczyk (Computer Science / Applied Mathematics / Web Programming Undergraduate Certificate)##, Lucas Paloschi (M.B.A. Business Administration)*, John David Spence (Acting).
Women’s Basketball (3): Ifunanya Nwachukwu (General Studies), Aniya Thomas (Professional Studies Graduate Certificate), Sydney Wilson (M.B.A. Business Administration / Leadership Graduate Certificate).
Women’s Golf (7): Faith Belmear (Communication Studies), Allison Bray (M.B.A. Business Administration / Marketing Graduate Certificate), Abby Cavaiani (M.B.A. Business Administration), Faith Hopkins (M.B.A. Business Administration / Marketing Graduate Certificate), Arielle Keating (M.S. Religious Studies), Bridget Schulte (M.B.A. Business Administrationn / Leadership Graduate Certificate), Johanna Wollenhaupt (International Business Administration)#.
Softball (6): Alex Boze (Child & Family Development), Hope Hamilton (Psychology)*, Olivia Krehbiel (M.B.A. Business Administration / Management Graduate Certificate)*, Payton Minnis (M.B.A. Business Administration / Management Graduate Certificate), Jacie Taber (Child & Family Development / Family & Juvenile Support Services Undergraduate Certificate)##*, Tess Weakly (Biology)#.
Women’s Soccer (8): Maddie Augustine (Journalism)###, Bella Bryson (Communication Studies)*, Isabel Burke (Financial Planning), Kyli Jackson (Interior Design)##, Jade Loftness (Public Relations)##, Ingrid Perkins (Computer Science)##, Hannah Peterson (Advertising & Promotion), Kayleigh Putnam (Audiology).
Women’s Swimming & Diving (8): Adriana Avila (M.B.A. Business Administration / Quantitative Enterprise Risk Management Graduate Certificate), Grace Beahan (Health Services)#, Jordan Boyce (Family and Consumer Sciences Education)##, Sierra Brannan (Professional Sales), Sam Hietpas (Animal Science), Weronika Margula (Sociology)*, Karli Sewell (Speech-Language Pathology / Modern Language / Spanish for the Professions Undergraduate Certificate)##, Jordan Wenner (Elementary Education)##.
Women’s Tennis (1): Alyson Piskulic (Cell & Molecular Biology / Medical Humanities Undergraduate Certificate)###.
Track & Field (19): Edna Dar (M.S. Criminal Justice), Haley Decker (M.B.A. Business Administration), Adyson Delaney (General Studies), Tamia Emerson (Health Services), Carly Hendrickson (Construction Management)###, Calandra Henry (Exercise & Movement Science)#, Taylor Holtz (Sociology)*, Mackenzie Ihasz (Psychology), Rachel Lacey (Psychology / Editing and Publishing Undergraduate Certificate)##, Riley Lourens (Marketing Management), Madison Meredith (M.P.S. Professional Studies / Sports Management Graduate Certificate), O’Shayla Muldrow (Film and Media Studies), Manuela Ngo Tonye Nyemeck (Exercise & Movement Science), Shelby Palmer (M.S. Biology)*, Tamia Rayford (M.P.S. Professional Studies / Sports Management Graduate Certificate), Ashley Rolewicz (Art and Design Education / Drawing)### Honors College, DaeLin Switzer (Psychology), Cheyenne White (Interior Design), Melissa Wolk (Political Science)#.
Volleyball (3): Kennedee Anderson (Sports Medicine), Amelia Flynn (Clinical Laboratory Sciences)#, Emelie Orlando (M.S. Applied Behavior Analysis).
KEY
### Summa Cum Laude
## Magna Cum Laude
# Cum Laude
* Summer graduate (Summer commencement ceremonies were eliminated in 2018)
