EVANSTON, Ill. — Forty-six Northwestern student-athletes from a school record 16 different varsity programs have earned prestigious Big Ten Distinguished Scholar recognition, the conference announced Wednesday.
“The list of Big Ten Distinguished Scholars annually reflects the young men and women who epitomize both halves of the student-athlete experience,” said Jim Phillips, vice president for athletics and recreation. “Even among a distinguished peer group here at Northwestern, this is an elite group.
“It is rewarding to watch them excel in competition, but even more so to witness their dedication and development in the classroom as they build a foundation for the rest of their lives. We are so proud of the achievements of our Wildcats academically, socially and athletically.”
These Wildcats scholars represent diverse fields of study that are truly representative of the broad academic pursuits offered at Northwestern. Included in these 46 award winners are:
• Nine student-athletes with majors in the School of Communication
• Seven student-athletes with majors in the School of Education and Social Policy
• Four economics majors
• Four engineering majors with four different specializations
• Three student-athletes with majors in the Medill School of Journalism
• One student-athlete majoring in the intense Integrated Science Program
• Four double majors
• One quadruple major
Two Wildcats — senior Haydyn Anigian of women’s lacrosse and sophomore Kayla Morin of volleyball — received special recognition for earning perfect 4.0 GPAs over the past year.
The award, in its seventh year of existence, was established by the Big Ten Faculty Representatives to supplement the Academic All-Big Ten program. Similar to the Academic All-Big Ten honor, Distinguished Scholar Award recipients must be letterwinners in at least their second academic year at their institution. However, this award encompasses only student-athletes with a minimum GPA of 3.7 or higher for the previous academic year, excluding summer school.
The Academic All-Big Ten threshold is a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher for their academic career. In 2014-15, Northwestern earned a school-record 228 total Academic All-Big Ten honors to put it over the 200 mark for the fifth consecutive year.
Swimming and Diving Big Ten Distinguished Scholars
Men’s Swimming and Diving (1)Aaron Sears, Sr. • Mechanical Engineering • Neenah, Minn.Women’s Swimming and Diving (3)Lauren Abruzzo, So. • Philosophy • Denver, Colo.Madeleine Klichowski, Sr. • Manufacturing and Design Engineering • Chicago, Ill.Annika Wisnes, So. • Biological Sciences • Singapore
Swimming news courtesy of Northwestern Swimming & Diving.