Scholar-Athletes Honored

Scholar-Athletes Honored

Prestwich leads Utah State's Whitesides Academic Honorees — Junior distance runner owns a 3.95 grade point average

Emily Prestwich became the fifth women's track athlete in the last eight years to claim the top academic honor at the annual Utah State University Joe E. Whitesides Scholar-Athlete Awards Luncheon Wednesday (April 21). The luncheon is sponsored by the Sports Academy and Racquet Club.

In all, 156 student-athletes, managers and trainers were recognized for recording a 3.2 cumulative GPA or having a 3.2 GPA for the last two semesters. The 156 honorees were just one shy of last year's school record.

The Aggie soccer team was recognized for having the best grade point average among teams with at least 20 members, beating out runner-up women's track and third-place football. For teams with less than 20 members, gymnastics posted the best combined GPA with volleyball finishing second and men's tennis placing third. Gymnastics also earned the most improved team honor with golf second and volleyball third.

Prestwich, a distance runner from Cedar City, Utah, earned the Joe E. Whitesides award after posting a 3.95 grade point average at Utah State. She was glad to see student-athletes rewarded for their academic achievements.

"I am glad we are getting recognized for something other than athletics," she said. "A lot of times we identify ourselves with what we do - I run track."

Prestwich, who has one more year of school, plans to work on a master's in social work and then work in the mental health field at a hospital or possibly go into counseling. She credited athletics with keeping her in line academically.

"It helps me to structure my time better," she said.

Prestwich thanked her professors at Utah State University, her coaches and her parents as well as her teammates and all the athletes that were in attendance at the annual luncheon.

"My parents encouraged me to excel from when I was little," she said.

This fall Prestwich finished 37th at the Big West Cross Country Championships and 59th at the NCAA Regionals. She is competing in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in the outdoor track season.

Other individual honors were given out as well. Glenn Davis, the university's registrar, earned the Meet The Challenge award for his efforts in helping the athletics department. Robin Edwards Pang was named the Outstanding Tutor.

Joel Higginson, a walk-on football player, was awarded the Aggie Achievement honor for overcoming personal challenges. His son Gunner was born three months prematurely and he managed to balance the expensive care of his son with football and school and is just a few hours short of earning his degree in business marketing.

Utah State's athletic department boasts one of the top 10 graduation rates in the country and had its student-athletes produce a combined GPA of better than 3.0 for both the semester and cumulative.

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