Colella, Studevent receive Big Ten Sportsmanship Award

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Big Ten has announced that Penn State senior basketball players Nick Colella (New Castle, Pa.) and Gizelle Studevent (La Jolla, Calif.) are among the 24 student-athletes named Outstanding Sportsmanship Award winners for the 2012-13 academic year. Colella and Studevent were chosen from a group of 300 student-athletes honored throughout the academic year who displayed positive sportsmanship.

One member of each varsity sports team on every campus was chosen by his or her institution as a Sportsmanship Award honoree. From each university's list, two Outstanding Sportsmanship Award winners were then selected. All of the Sportsmanship Award honorees have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. In addition, these student-athletes must be in good academic standing and must have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.

Colella demonstrated the dedication, leadership and belief in one's dreams that exemplifies true sport during a career that took him from a Penn State Division III campus, to Lady Lion practice player, to Nittany Lion walk-on, to starter and team captain. A two-year player at Penn State-Behrend, Colella matriculated to the University Park campus in his junior year and began participating as a practice player for the Penn State women's team. He enrolled in the open walk-on tryouts for the men's team and earned a spot on the squad. After a redshirt season he earned playing time in 26 games his second season and started six games in Big Ten play.

His skill on the court and leadership on and off it earned him a scholarship for the spring semester of the 2011-2 season and saw it renewed the following year as he finished his career as a scholarship player and a key component of the Nittany Lion team. Colella's all-out hustle, willingness to sacrifice his body and no-fear approach to competition earned him the respect and admiration of his coaches and teammates and he was named a team captain for his senior season where he played in all 31 games and started 14. He led Penn State taking 19 charges on the year and recording 69 dives as he became a shining example to his teammates of the will to succeed and compete. His steadfast leadership was key in helping the Nittany Lions post a dramatic upset of then No. 4-ranked and eventual NCAA runner-up Michigan.

Colella finished his story book career appearing in 57 games and starting 20 while making 50 threes and logging 196 points, but it is his example of all-out effort and sacrifice to make a goal a reality while being a positive and ever present leader that will be his lasting mark.

Studevent's impact at Penn State will be felt for years to come off the court with the development of Penn State Athletes Take Action (PSATA). The program has Penn State student-athletes visits local middle schools monthly to talk about bullying and its impact. Studevent was recently recognized as a member of the inaugural Allstate WBCA Good Works Team that honors volunteerism and civic involvement and the Stand Up Award recipient from Penn State's Rock Ethics Institute.

Studevent recently published a book that was written during her time at Penn State and shares her personal journey that includes overcoming near-fatal car accident and a battle against bullying in high school to become a community leader and the creator of anti-bullying program PSATA. On the court, Studevent completed her career by scoring a personal-best 61 points this season, including several key scores that spurred on Lady Lion rallies. She also pulled in 21 rebounds, had six steals and two blocks.

The 2013 Big Ten Outstanding Sportsmanship Award winners are below:

2013 Outstanding Sportsmanship Award Winners