NATCHITOCHES -- Nine Northwestern State student-athletes graduated with high academic honors Friday, heading a group of 51 current and former competitors and five athletic staff members who received degrees during the university's 2009 summer and fall commencement exercises at Prather Coliseum.
Sixteen football players graduated, including 2009 first-team All-Southland Conference defensive tackle Albert Smith and 2008 first-team All-SLC safety Wesley Eckles.
Eleven baseball players received degrees, headed by All-SLC performer Chase Lyles along with minor league player Joe Urtuzuastegui. Lyles will return next spring for his senior baseball season.
Six former Demon basketball players graduated, including Luke Rogers, a starting guard on the 2005-06 team that went 26-8 and beat Iowa in the first round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament. Rogers is now part of the Demon coaching staff.
All-Louisiana sprinter Anna Forest was among seven track and field competitors to receive diplomas Friday.
Softball equipment manager Nicole Miller was one of 12 summa cum laude graduates with a grade point average between 3.9 and a perfect 4.0.
Magna cum laude graduates were football player Kendall Rodrigue, soccer's Hannah Casey, and softball's Amanda Jameson.
Graduating cum laude, with a GPA between 3.50 and 3.69, were baseball pitcher Michael Ocampo, football quarterback John Hundley, soccer's Mannette Keller and Lindy Strahan, softball's Brittany Card, and high jumper Greg Hall of the track and field team.
A group of 12 other student-athletes graduated with honors by posting a GPA over 3.0. Included were baseball's Denney Choate, Heath Hennigan and Micah Tipton; football players Patrick Earl, Wesley Eckles, Quinten Goodie, and Adam Varnado; Ashley Millhouse of the Lady Demon soccer team; basketball's Deividas Petravicius, along with Deidra Truss, Mindy Toney and Katrina Pence of the women's track and field program. Hennigan will pitch his senior season for the Demons next spring.
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Some of the football graduates with Coach Bradley Dale Peveto |
Staff members graduating with honors were athletic trainer Kati Cooper and football equipment manager Jacob Punch. Other student staff members getting diplomas were Donyelle Clark of the football office and Julie Lack, formerly a sports information student worker.
Former softball player and athletic staff member Mallorie Thornton completed her master's degree, after earning her bachelor's degree from NSU.
The soccer program produced five graduates, all who had 3.0 GPA's or better.
There were three graduates each from women's basketball and the softball program.
A complete list of the graduates with their degrees and academic honors earned:
BASEBALL
1. Dennis Choate (former athlete): Bachelor of Science/College of Science & Technology; Major - Health & Human Performance, with concentration in Health & Exercise Science; Honor - Honor Roll
2. Stephen (Heath) Hennigan: Bachelor of Science/College of Science & Technology; Major - Industrial Engineering Technology; Honor - Honor Roll
3. Anthony Jones: Bachelor of Science/College of Liberal Arts; Major - Psychology
4. Houston Lacobee (former athlete): Bachelor of Science in Nursing/College of Nursing; Major - Nursing; Honor - Honor Roll
5. Chase Lyles: Bachelor of General Studies/University College; Major - General Studies with concentration in Social Science; Minor - Social Science
6. Michael Ocampo: Bachelor of General Studies/University College; Major - General Studies with concentration in Social Science; Minor - Social Science; Honor - Cum Laude
7. Justin O'Neal: Bachelor of Science/College of Business; Major - Business Administration; Honor - Honor Roll
8. Chris Salim (former athlete): Bachelor of Arts/College of Liberal Arts; Major - Journalism, with concentration in Broadcast; Minor - P.E., Sport & Leisure Management
9. Harold (Bo) Snodgrass: Bachelor of Arts/College of Liberal Arts; Major - History; Minor - Social Science
10. Micah Tipton (former athlete/current manager): Bachelor of Science/College of Business; Major - Business Administration; Honor: Honor Roll
11. Joe Urtuzuastegui: Bachelor of General Studies/University College; Major - General Studies with concentration in Social Science; Minor - Social Science
MEN'S BASKETBALL
1. C.J. Clark: Bachelor of General Studies/University College; Major - General Studies with concentration in Social Science; Minor - Social Science
2. Daniel Fletcher (former JV player): Bachelor of Arts/College of Liberal Arts; Major - Criminal Justice
3. Darryl Joiner (former JV player): Bachelor of General Studies/University College; Major - General Studies with concentration in Arts & Communication; Minor - Social Science
4. Jerry Moody: Bachelor of General Studies/University College; Major - General Studies with concentration in Social Science; Minor - Social Science
5. Deividas Petravicius: Bachelor of Science/College of Business; Majors - Accounting & Business Administration; Honor - Honor Roll
6. Luke Rogers: Bachelor of General Studies/University College; Major - General Studies with concentration in Social Science; Minor - Social Science
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
1. Renotta Edwards: Bachelor of Arts/College of Liberal Arts; Major - History; Minor - Social Science
2. Brette Gertonson (former athlete): Bachelor of Fine Arts/College of Liberal Arts; Major - Fine & Graphic Arts, with concentration in Graphic Communications
3. Courtney Shead: Bachelor of Science/College of Liberal Arts; Major - Psychology; Minor - Biology
FOOTBALL
1. Dante Austin: Bachelor of Arts/College of Liberal Arts; Major - Criminal Justice
2. Clay Broyles (former athlete): Bachelor of General Studies/University College; Major - General Studies with concentration in Arts & Communication; Minor - Social Science
3. Josh Daniels: Bachelor of Science/College of Science & Technology; Major - Health & Human Performance, with concentration in Health & Exercise Science
4. Blake Delcambre: Bachelor of General Studies/University College; Major - General Studies with concentration in Social Science; Minor - Social Science
5. Patrick Earl (former athlete): Bachelor of Science/College of Science & Technology; Electronics Engineering Technology; Honor - Honor Roll
6. Wesley Eckles: Bachelor of Science/College of Business; Majors - Computer Information Systems & Business Administration with concentration in Finance; Honor - Honor Roll
7. Jasper Edwards: Bachelor of Arts/College of Liberal Arts; Major - Sociology; Minor - Social Science
8. Quinten Goodie: Bachelor of Science/College of Business; Majors - Computer Information Systems & Business Administration; Honor - Honor Roll
9. Isaiah Greenhouse: Bachelor of General Studies/University College; Major - General Studies with concentration in Social Science; Minor - Social Science
10. John Hundley: Bachelor of Science/College of Business; Major -Business Administration; Honor - Cum Laude
11. Rogers Loche: Bachelor of Science/College of Liberal Arts; Major - Psychology
12. Gary Riggs: Bachelor of Science/College of Business; Major -Business Administration
13. Kendall Rodrigue (former athlete): Bachelor of Science/College of Business; Majors - Accounting & Business Administration; Honor - Magna Cum Laude
14. Kedrin Seastrunk: Bachelor of Science/College of Science & Technology; Major - Biology, with concentration in Biomedical
15. Albert Smith: Bachelor of Science/College of Business; Major -Business Administration
16. Adam Varnado: Bachelor of Arts/College of Education & Bachelor of General Studies/University College; Majors - Social Studies Education Grades 6-12 & General Studies with concentration in Social Science; Minor - Social Science; Honor - Honor Roll
SOCCER
1. Hannah Casey: Bachelor of Arts/College of Liberal Arts; Major - Journalism, with concentration in Public Relations; Minor - Business Administration; Honor - Magna Cum Laude
2. Bobbie Hayes: Bachelor of Arts/College of Liberal Arts; Major - Journalism, with concentration in Public Relations; Minor - English; Honor - Magna Cum Laude
3. Manette Keller: Bachelor of Science/College of Science & Technology; Major - Health & Exercise Science; Honor - Cum Laude
4. Ashley Millhouse: Bachelor of Arts/College of Liberal Arts; Major - Journalism, with concentration in Public Relations; Minor - Communication; Honor - Honor Roll
5. Lindy Strahan: Bachelor of Science/College of Liberal Arts; Major - Psychology; Minor - Spanish; Honor - Cum Laude
SOFTBALL
1. Brittany Card: Bachelor of Science/College of Science & Technology; Major - Biology, with concentration in Biomedical; Honor - Cum Laude
2. Amanda Jameson: Bachelor of Science/College of Science & Technology; Major - Health & Exercise Science; Honor - Magna Cum Laude
3. Mallorie Thornton (former athlete): Master of Science/College of Science & Technology; Major - Health & Human Performance, with
concentration in Sports Administration
MEN'S TRACK
1. Joshua Citizen: Bachelor of Science/College of Science & Technology; Major - Health & Exercise Science
2. Greg Hall: Bachelor of Science/College of Science & Technology; Major - Health & Exercise Science; Honor - Cum Laude
3. Dereck Johnson: Bachelor of Arts/College of Liberal Arts; Major - Criminal Justice
WOMEN'S TRACK
1. Anna Forest: Bachelor of Science/College of Liberal Arts; Major - Psychology
2. Katrina Pence (former athlete): Bachelor of Science/College of Education; Major - Elementary Education Grades 1-5; Honor - Honor Roll
3. Mindy Toney (former athlete): Bachelor of General Studies/University College; Major - General Studies with concentration in Social Science; Minor - Social Science; Honor - Honor Roll
4. Deidra Truss (former athlete): Bachelor of Science/College of Science & Technology; Major - Biology, with concentration in Biomedical; Honor - Honor Roll
STAFF
1. Kati Cooper/Athletic Trainer: Bachelor of Science/College of Education; Major - Mathematics Education Grades 6-12; Honor - Honor Roll
2. Nicole Miller/Manager: Bachelor of Science/College of Science & Technology; Major - Biology, with concentration in Biomedical; Honor - Summa Cum Laude
3. Jacob Punch/Manager: Bachelor of Science/College of Science & Technology; Major - Industrial Engineering Technology; Honor - Honor Roll
4. Julie Lack/Sports Information staff: Bachelor of Science/College of Business; Major -Business Administration
5. Donyelle Clark/Football office staff: Bachelor of Science/College of Business; Major -Business Administration
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Attending a Thursday night reception for athletic grads (l-r) Wesley
Eckles, Isaiah Greenhouse, Jasper Edwards, Gary Riggs, Rogers Loche,
Lindy Strahan, Luke Rogers, Brittany Card and Deividas Petravicius
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Photo Credit: Gary Hardamon
