Utah State Recognizes 195 Student-Athletes at Annual Whitesides Luncheon

The top honoree during the luncheon was senior track athlete Devin Wright, continuing a streak of seven straight and 10 of the last 11 honorees from the track & field program.

Utah State’s athletics department recognized 195 student-athletes for achieving a 3.2 grade point average at the 24th annual Joe E. and Elma Whitesides Scholar-Athlete Luncheon Tuesday. 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 53 percent of USU’s student-athletes earned a 3.2 GPA to qualify for the awards.

The top honoree during the luncheon was senior track athlete Devin Wright, continuing a streak of seven straight and 10 of the last 11 honorees from the track & field program.

Furthermore, 16 of the past 26 recipients of the top individual honor have been from track & field. During that time, the only males to win the award have been Mike Puzey from men's basketball in 2003, Tyler Ellis from men’s track who shared the award with Rebecca Anderson and Alison Taylor in 2009, and Daniel Howell from men’s track who shared the award with Katelyn Heiner in 2012, along with Wright in 2017.

Wright (Monticello, Utah/Monticello HS) will graduate from Utah State this spring with a bachelor of science degree in biology, with an emphasis in human biology. Wright, whose cumulative GPA is a near perfect 3.98, will also graduate with two minors in Spanish and chemistry.

The son of Doug and Lisa Wright was recently named a finalist for the NCAA Walter Byers Graduate Scholarship. Annually, one male and one female is awarded the $24,000 scholarship in recognition of outstanding academic achievement and potential success in graduate study. Wright is one of six finalists who will be interviewed at the NCAA Headquarters in Indianapolis, Ind., for this prestigious award.

Overall, Wright is a multiple Whitesides Scholar-Athlete recipient and has earned academic all-conference accolades two times and Mountain West Scholar-Athlete honors twice. He has also garnered third-team CoSIDA Academic All-American (2016) accolades and first-team CoSIDA Academic All-District (2015, 2016) honors, to go along with being named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team (2015, 2016).

As a student-athlete, Wright is a member of Utah State’s outdoor track & field team, capturing the javelin title with a mark of 62.17m (204-00) at the 2016 Mountain West Outdoor Championships. He also garnered second-team all-WAC honors after finishing sixth in the javelin with a throw of 55.70m (182-09) during the 2012 outdoor season.

Wright has competed in the javelin at the NCAA West Preliminary Championships three times during his career, placing as high as 42nd in 2016 with a mark of 55.29m (181-04). He recorded his personal-best mark of 64.12m (210-04), which ranks eighth all-time in school history, at the 2016 BYU-hosted Clarence Robison Invitational.

This season, Wright has captured three javelin crowns, including back-to-back titles at the Utah State-hosted Mark Faldmo Invitational (4/14) and the Stanford-hosted Cardinal Classic (4/22).

“The award is wonderful. To see how many other people have won this award, just the significance is very humbling,” said Wright. “I am honored to reach this accolade. It’s a goal that I set for myself and I’m happy that I was able to achieve it. I couldn’t have done it without the support of my parents, friends, coaches and teachers.”

Utah State also handed out team honors and women’s tennis was named the top academic team with less than 20 members. Women’s cross country was the top academic team with more than 20 members and men’s basketball was the most improved academic team.

Gymnast Hayley Sanzotti and track & field athlete Landon Watts both received the Wayne Estes Memorial Award, which is presented to a female and male graduating senior who excels in scholarship, citizenship and leadership.

Dr. Ed Heath, who is a professor of kinesiology and the USU Faculty Athletics Representative, was presented the Meet The Challenge Award, while Adam Berry and Braxton Davis were both given the Outstanding Tutor Award, while Josef Chase was given the Outstanding Mentor Award for their work with USU’s student-athletes.

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

2017 UTAH STATE WHITESIDES SPECIAL HONORS

Whitesides Winner – Devin Wright
Wayne Estes Memorial Award – Hayley Sanzotti and Landon Watts
Meet The Challenge – Dr. Ed Heath
Outstanding Tutors – Adam Berry and Braxton Davis
Outstanding Mentor – Josef Chase

Top Teams (20-plus members)
1. Women’s Cross Country
2. Women’s Track & Field
3. Soccer

Top Teams (less than 20 members)
1. Women’s Tennis
2. Volleyball
3. Men’s Cross Country

Most Improved Teams
1. Men’s Basketball
2. Volleyball
3. Men’s Track / Men’s Tennis

To view the entire list of the 2017 Utah State Whitesides Honorees, visit here.