UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State Nittany Lion wrestler Geno Morelli and Lindsay Agnew of Ohio State University have been chosen as the 2017 Wayne Duke Postgraduate Award recipients by the Indianapolis Big Ten Community Partnership. The award is an annual scholarship recognizing one male and one female Big Ten senior pursuing a postgraduate degree for achievements in academics, athletics, extracurricular activities and leadership.
Morelli, who transfered to Penn State after two years at Pitt, was an All-ACC Academic Wrestling team member, First-Team National Wrestling All-Academic Winner, named to the Nittany All-Academic Team and a University of Pittsburgh Scholar-Athlete. The senior holds a 3.95 GPA in energy business and finance. Morelli has also been an Academic All-Big Ten selection and Morelli earned a starting position in the Nittany Lion lineup and helped the team to its 2016 NCAA Championship while being ranked as high as No. 10 nationally in his respective weight class.
Morelli is 10-1 this year, including three pins, and will end his collegiate career with a 66-37 career record and eight pins. Morelli is the third Penn Stater to win the honor since its inception in 2008.
Morelli has been involved in Penn State’s summer wrestling camps and clinics, is a member of the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club and a representative for the University of Pittsburgh Student Athlete Advisory Committee. In his spare time, Morelli gives back to the community by volunteering with the KaBOOM Playground Project, which constructs playgrounds in low income areas, and with Penn State’s Agriculture Progress day. Morelli is the third Penn State student to receive the Wayne Duke Postgraduate Award.
Agnew completed her final soccer season this fall at Ohio State and will graduate in May with a degree in environmental and natural resources. Her focus is on environment, economy, development and sustainability with a minor in engineering sciences. With one semester left to complete, Agnew boasts a 3.86 cumulative GPA. In the fall, Agnew will be pursuing a master’s in business administration to further her education in the business sector and to create connections with different corporations around the world. Agnew started all 23 matches of the season as assistant captain, tied for second in the Big Ten with seven assists and was named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team.
Originally from Kingston, Ontario, and now hailing from Dublin, Ohio, Agnew is heavily involved in Soles for the Souls, a nonprofit organization that distributes shoes, the Girls and Boys Club of Columbus, Second and Seven where she reads to second graders and Run the Race, an after school program that helps kids from the inner city of Columbus get outside and play. Agnew, who was selected in the second round of the 2017 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Draft by the Washington Spirit and currently is playing with the Canadian Senior National Team at the Algarve Cup in Portugal, is the second Wayne Duke Postgraduate Award recipient from Ohio State.
Agnew and Morelli will be honored in Indianapolis during the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament on March 4 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
In recognition of the Big Ten’s leadership in fully integrating athletics into the academic mission of its member institutions, the Indianapolis Big Ten Community Partnership initiated the Wayne Duke Postgraduate Award in 2008. Each Big Ten institution was asked to nominate one male and one female student for 2017, with a $10,000 scholarship awarded to each winner.
The Wayne Duke Postgraduate Award is named for the former Big Ten Conference commissioner who served from 1971 to 1989. While leading the Big Ten, Duke spent much of his time working to improve academic standards and graduation rates for students competing in conference athletics. The award is made possible by donations from local corporations and individuals supporting intercollegiate athletics. The Indianapolis Big Ten Community Partnership is comprised of the State of Indiana, City of Indianapolis, Indiana Sports Corp, Pacers Sports & Entertainment and Visit Indy.