University Park, Pa. — Seventy-one Penn State student-athletes are scheduled to graduate during commencement exercises this weekend on the University Park campus.
Student-athletes from 23 of Penn State's 25 varsity sports (men's and women's track and field/cross country are combined) are among the 71 student-athletes that have been approved to graduate. In addition, 14 members of the cheerleading squad and eight members of the Lionettes dance teams are on the approved to graduate list.
Among the spring 2011 graduates are Talor Battle, the Nittany Lion Basketball team's career scoring leader and Arielle Wilson, a three-time AVCA All-American who has been instrumental in Penn State capturing an unprecedented four consecutive NCAA Women's Volleyball Championships.
Also graduating are 13 student-athletes whose teams have captured national championships during their Penn State careers, including Alyssa D'Errico, Cathy Quilco and Fatima Balza (women's volleyball), Doris Willette (fencing), Alan Mars (men's volleyball) and Rob Vollrath (wrestling).
Among other Penn State graduates are: Andrew Jones and Steve Kirkpatrick (Nittany Lion basketball); Julia Trogele (Lady Lion basketball); Brandi Personett (women's gymnastics); Daneen Zug (field hockey); Jackie Hill (softball); Jesse Alfreno (baseball) and Will Donley (men's lacrosse).
Eight members of the Nittany Lion football team will be graduating, all of whom will have senior eligibility for the 2011 season: Quinn Barham, Eric Latimore, Chima Okoli, Nate Stupar, Joe Suhey, Nick Sukay, Andrew Szczerba and Johnnie Troutman.
The men's lacrosse team has the most graduates this spring with nine, followed football (8). Women's fencing, women's lacrosse and women's swimming and diving each have five graduates.
Penn State student-athletes, who have captured 27 Big Ten Championships during the past six years and a nation's-best 10 NCAA titles since March 2007, consistently have been among the nation's most successful in earning their degrees. Among some of the recent academic accomplishments are:
- The NCAA's annual study of institutions nationwide revealed in October, 2010 that Penn State student-athletes at the University Park campus earned a record Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of 90 percent compared to a 79 percent average for all Division I institutions for students entering from 2000-01 through 2003-04. The 90 percent figure was second to Northwestern (97) among Big Ten institutions.
- The four-year federal graduation rate average for University Park student-athletes was 80 percent, significantly higher than the national average of 64 percent, and second to Northwestern (88) among Big Ten Conference institutions.
- The NCAA data also showed that student-athletes from 23 of Penn State's 25 teams (track/cross country teams combined) earned a Graduation Success Rate at or above the national GSR average of 79 percent. Eight Penn State squads earned a Graduation Success Rate of 100 percent and 21 of 25 Nittany Lion teams earned a GSR higher than or equal to the national average for their respective sport.
- The Penn State football team again led the nation with three first-team Academic All-Americans® in 2010. The Nittany Lions' 15 Academic All-Americans® over the past five years (13 first team selections) leads the nation.