Tar Heels Honor Academic Success At Annual Luncheon

The Top 10 Scholar-Athletes: Austin Sellers, Brendan Illies, Kate Boyer, Tom Bilden, Jared Martin, Jamie DeCicco, Drew Pedersen, Morgan Goetz, Kelly Williams and Lydia Thompson

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

May 8, 2019 | Baseball, Field Hockey, Football, Men's Basketball, Men's Golf, Men's Lacrosse, Men's Soccer, Men's Tennis, Softball, Women's Basketball, Women's Golf, Women's Gymnastics, Women's Lacrosse, Women's Rowing, Women's Soccer, Women's Tennis, Volleyball, Wrestling, Cross Country, Track & Field, Fencing, Swimming & Diving, Academics

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By: UNC Athletic Communications

UNC celebrated the academic successes of its student-athletes recently at its sixth-annual Tar Heel Scholar-Athlete Academic Awards Luncheon. The event honored more than 250 Tar Heels for their outstanding achievements during the Fall 2018 and Spring 2018 semesters. Among those were 10 seniors recognized for excellence during their time at UNC.

Held May 1 on campus at the George Watts Hill Alumni Center, the program included recognition of the 4.0 Club (perfect grades in the spring or fall of 2018, or both) and a recap of academic honors announced during the year: ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Academic All-America and All-District, AD's Scholar-Athletes, All-ACC Academic teams, ACC Weaver-James-Corrigan Postgraduate Scholarships and Awards, and Phi Beta Kappa induction.

The highlight of each year's event is the recognition of the Top 10 Scholar-Athletes, the five men and five women with the highest grade point averages among those graduating in 2019. Each honoree spoke for a few minutes to introduce his or her faculty guest and impart a few words of advice to fellow student-athletes.

Among the gems offered: Keep a positive attitude, surround yourself with amazing people, use disappointment as an opportunity to get better, don't be afraid to chart a new path, and always make your bed.

"This is such a great event and brings together everything we stand for as an Athletic Department," said UNC Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham. "Our student-athletes are incredible athletes, they've received an incredible education while they're here, and they continue to inspire so many."

This year's Top 10 Scholar-Athletes, all of whom will graduate from UNC in May, are:

Tom Bilden, Men's Swimming & Diving, Chapel Hill, N.C.
Bilden majored in business administration and minored in classics. His guest was Dr. Robert Babcock, Alumni Distinguished Professor of Classics. During his time at UNC, Bilden participated in Kenan-Flagler programs in Budapest, Prague, Dublin and Cologne. After graduating in May, he will work as a financial analyst for Raymond James Industrial Group in Memphis.

To watch Bilden's speech, click here.

Kate Boyer, Women's Swimming & Diving, Dallas, Texas
Boyer earned a double major in biostatistics and mathematics. Her guest was Dr. Jane Monaco, Assistant Professor of Biostatistics and Director of Undergraduate Studies. A Phi Beta Kappa inductee, Boyer will work as a statistical programmer and eventually attend graduate school in biostatistics or epidemiology.

To watch Boyer's speech, click here.

Jamie DeCicco, Gymnastics, Fayetteville, Ga.
DeCicco majored in psychology with minors in biology and chemistry. Her faculty guests were Dr. Vicki Chanon, Assistant Professor of Psychology and Director of Undergraduate Research; and Dr. Nita Eskew, Director of Undergraduate Laboratories in the Department of Chemistry. Another Phi Beta Kappa inductee, DeCicco will work as a research coordinator at The Matthew Gfeller Sport-Related Traumatic Brain Injury Research Center and eventually plans to go to medical school.

To watch DeCicco's speech, click here.

Morgan Goetz, Field Hockey, Cary, N.C.
Goetz majored in biomedical and health science engineering. Her faculty guests were Dr. Frances Ligler, Lampe Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering; and Lanier Hodgson, Director of State and Federal Policy for UNC Healthcare and UNC School of Medicine. An NCAA and ACC champion as well as a Phi Beta Kappa inductee, she will pursue a Ph.D. in bioengineering at Harvard.

To watch Goetz's speech, click here.

• Brendan Illies, Baseball, Edgewood, Wash.
Illies majored in physics and minored in business administration. His faculty guest was Alexander Arapoglou, Professor of the Practice of Finance at Kenan-Flagler Business School. After graduation Illies will work as a portfolio management analyst for Dimensional Fund Advisors.

To watch Illies' speech, click here.

• Jared Martin, Men's Track & Field, Greensboro, N.C.
Martin majored in interdisciplinary studies with a concentration in neuroscience and minored in chemistry. His faculty guest was Dr. Marsha Penner, Director of Undergraduate Research and Lecturer for Psychology and Neuroscience. A member of Honors Carolina, Martin will work as a medical assistant and eventually attend medical school.

To watch Martin's speech, click here.

• Drew Pedersen, Men's Track & Field, Apex, N.C.
Pedersen majored in business administration with a minor in entrepreneurship. His faculty guest was Courtney Porter, Associate Director of Wood Center for Real Estate Studies at Kenan-Flagler. After graduation, he will continue work on a start-up he is founding.

To watch Pedersen's speech, click here.

• Austin Sellers, Men's Swimming & Diving, Tampa, Fla.
Sellers majored in business administration with a concentration in finance. His faculty guest was Greg Hohn, Senior Lecturer of Management and Corporate Communication at Kenan-Flagler. He will work as a corporate analyst at JP Morgan and plans eventually to go to graduate school for his MBA.

To watch Sellers' speech, click here.

• Lydia Thompson, Rowing, Greensboro, N.C.
Thompson majored in English with a minor in journalism. Her faculty guest was Dr. Connie Clare Eble, Professor of English. After graduation she will intern with the Walt Disney Company through its Disney College Program.

To watch Thompson's speech, click here.

• Kelly Williams, Rowing, Chevy Chase, Md.
Williams majored in environmental studies with a concentration in sustainability. Her faculty guest was Dr. Conghe Song, Professor and Associate Department Chair in Geography. A Phi Beta Kappa inductee, she plans to move back to the D.C. area and eventually earn a master's degree in geographic information science.

To watch Williams' speech, click here.

This year's luncheon decor was also student-athlete inspired, as 10 Tar Heels contributed artwork that was made into centerpieces for the tables. Featured artists for the event were: Erin Boone (volleyball), Jeremiah Derby (wrestling), Tomon Fox (football), Dre Hollins (football), Brandon Huffman (men's basketball), Hadden LaGarde (volleyball), Taylor Moreno (women's lacrosse), Alex Nobles (football), Shea Rush (men's basketball) and Tre' Shaw (football).

All seniors were able to invite a faculty guest to the luncheon, so nearly 30 members of the UNC faculty were present. Cunningham wrapped up by thanking them for their support of the student-athletes, and then thanking the Tar Heel head coaches for recruiting these outstanding student-athletes to UNC in the first place.

2018 4.0 Club
Both 2018 semesters: Natalie Chandler (women's soccer), Katie Grace Olinger (Softball), Carson Pledger (Men's Track & Field), A.J. Rechenmacher (Wrestling),
Spring 2018: Kate Boyer (Women's Swimming & Diving), Hansen Butler (Baseball), Alicia Chen (Women's Fencing), Dimitrios Dimitriou (Men's Swimming & Diving), Jack Dinges (Football), Gino Esposito (Wrestling), Lauren Ferner (Rowing), Alex Helms (Men's Lacrosse), Brendan Illies (Baseball), Madeline Lavin (Rowing), Andi Mack (Women's Swimming & Diving), Tasha Regan (Women's Cross Country)
Fall 2018: Jamie Antinori (Gymnastics), Cole Brown (Men's Lacrosse), Jamie DeCicco (Gymnastics), Austin Dowler (Football), Brendan Feehery (Men's Swimming & Diving), Madeline Kraft (Women's Cross Country), Lindsey Lanier (Women's Cross Country), Jackie Litynski (Women's Fencing), Nate Miller (Men's Lacrosse), Liz Roberts (Women's Basketball), Laura Sparling (Women's Soccer), Abby Staker (Women's Soccer), Kevin Walker (Men's Lacrosse), Ezra Wright (Men's Fencing)

2018 Tar Heel Scholar-Athletes
GPA of 3.2 or better in fall and spring semesters of 2018.

* – those who have earned induction into Chi Alpha Sigma honorary society. Induction requires that a student-athlete has achieved least a 3.4 cumulative GPA, has reached at least junior status academically and has lettered in a varsity sport.

BASEBALL
Michael Busch
Hansen Butler
Brendan Illies *
Caden O'Brien

MEN'S
BASKETBALL
Cameron Johnson
Luke Maye *

WOMEN'S
BASKETBALL
Leah Church
Jocelyn Jones
Taylor Koenen
Liz Roberts *
Olivia Smith *
Naomi Van Nes

MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
Andrew Brooks
Jake McEneaney
Alex Milligan *
Brodie Modini *
Connor Peeples *
Luke Peterson *
Matt Thornton *

WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
Charlotte Bassett
Mady Clahane *
Madeline Kraft
Lindsey Lanier
Kathryn Mayo
Blair Ramsey *
Tasha Regan *
Ashley Smith *

MEN'S FENCING
Charles Chow
Michael Facci
Andrew Fregenal
Matthew Garrelick
Firoz George
Ian Head *
Jacob Henkels *
Brian Lee *
Alex Matthew
Connor Ritchey
Charles Roth
Samuel Tate *
Bernard Witek
Ezra Wright

WOMEN'S FENCING
Isabel Bravo
Alicia Chen *
Wei Chee Chen *
Jackie Litynski *
Alexis Lynch
Sydney Persing *
Hannah Pieper
Charlotte Smith *
Sylvia Zhu

FIELD HOCKEY
Marissa Creatore
Megan DuVernois
Malin Evert *
Morgan Goetz *
Feline Guenther
Alex Halpin
Mary Kathryn Harrah
Catherine Hayden
Julia Herrington
Ashley Hoffman
Gab Major
Megan Ragusa
Meredith Sholder
Eva Smolenaars
Cassie Sumfest

FOOTBALL
Allen Artis
Jake Bargas
Thomas Brown *
Austin Chrismon
Aaron Crawford
Devin Cregan
Austin Dowler
Luke Elder
Zach Goins *
Cooper Graham
Tolson Jeffrey
Jake Lawler
Nick Polino
Jace Ruder
Hunter Sheridan *
Mason Veal

MEN'S GOLF
Preyer Fountain
Joshua Martin
Jose Montaño Sanchez *
Tailin Song

WOMEN'S GOLF
Mariana Ocano *
Roshnee Sharma *
Brynn Walker *
Kelly Whaley

GYMNASTICS
Jamie Antinori *
Lily Dean
Jamie DeCicco *
Grace Donaghy
Madison Hargrave
Emma Marchese *
Madison Nettles
Mikayla Robinson
Mekyllah Williams

MEN'S LACROSSE
Justin Anderson *
Ara Atayan
Alex Bassil *
Cole Brown
Kevin Gill
Jack Halpert
Cole Haverty *
Alex Helms
Timmy Kelly
Patrick Lyons *
Cameron Macri
Matt McLaughlin
Nate Miller
Colin Munro
Michael Nathan
Ryan O'Connell
Jordan Prysko
Patrick Sasser
Kevin Walker *

WOMEN'S LACROSSE
Amanda Dionne
Marisa DiVietro
Ida Farinholt
Olivia Ferrucci
Riley Harrison *
Elise Hennessey
Katie Hoeg *
Maddie Hoffer *
Kara Klages
Ally Mastroianni
Taylor McDaniels
Emma Trenchard

ROWING
Katie Bell
Ashton Brown
Paige Colpo *
Adelaide Cooke *
Olivia Curran
Alex Davis
Hattie Doherty
Elizabeth Farley
Lauren Ferner
Liz Finnessy
Hannah Fisher
Margaret High *
Abby Hudspeth *
Madeline Lavin
Aiden Lefebvre *
Ashley Lim
Lindsay Miller
Elizabeth Mitchell *
Laura Naylor
Sophia Perkins *
Julianne Peters *
Kate Pierce *
Katie Pondiscio *
Zoe Rose
Caileigh Ryan
Caleigh Sewell
Sally Stanley *
Bridget Tarnowski
Lydia Thompson *
Sofia Triana *
Sarah Velarde
Neeva Wernsman Young
Maureen Whittelsey
Kelly Williams *
Caroline Young *
Sara Zetterberg *
Sienna Zuco

MEN'S SOCCER
Nils Bruening *
Will Campbell
Alex Comsia *
Charlie Forecast
Dominic Jensen *
Julius Momkus

WOMEN'S SOCCER
Miah Araba
Dorian Bailey *
Natalie Chandler
Nicole Crutchfield *
Rachael Dorwart
Emily Fox
Morgan Goff
Megan Joyner
Annie Kingman
Kate Morris *
Jessie Scarpa *
Laura Sparling
Abby Staker *

SOFTBALL
Destiny DeBerry
Megan Dray
Katie Grace Olinger
Kiani Ramsey *
Brittany West
Sierra Parkinson
Brittany Pickett

MEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING
Tom Bilden *
Greg Brocato
James Courtney
Dimitrios Dimitriou
Brendan Feehery *
Andrew Heise *
Tyler Hill
Alvin Jiang
Daniel Koenigsperger
Nick Palmer
Austin Sellers *

WOMEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING
Maddie Baker
Sydney Baker
Brooke Bauer
Kate Boyer *
Emma Cole
Robyn Dryer *
Meghan Dupay *
Caroline Guice
Caroline Hauder
Taylor Hockenberry
Emma McPeeters
Reni Moshos
Allie Reiter
Maria Lohman
Andi Mack *
Maddie Smith
Mary-O Soule

MEN'S TENNIS
Blaine Boyden *
Ladd Harrison *

WOMEN'S TENNIS
Anna Harmon
Makenna Jones *
Chloe Ouellet-Pizer *

MEN'S TRACK & FIELD
Amari DeVaughn
Will Eskew *
Joseph Ibrahim *
Jared Martin *
Drew Pedersen *
Carson Pledger
Darryl Shaw
Harrison Young *

WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD
Alex Cooke
Anna Eaton *
Nicole Greene *
Anna Keefer
Nicole Kiszenia
McKinley McNeill *
Emerson Porter
Jill Shippee

VOLLEYBALL
Katharine Esterley *
Mia Fradenburg *
Casey Jacobs
Hadden LaGarde
Madison Laufenberg

WRESTLING
John Clark
Gino Esposito
Gary Wayne Harding
Grant Jefferson
Clay Lautt
Josh McClure
A.J. Rechenmacher *