UNC Recognizes Top 10 Scholar-Athlete Award Winners

May 13, 2020 | Football, Women's Basketball, Women's Gymnastics, Women's Rowing, Wrestling, Cross Country, Track & Field, Fencing, Swimming & Diving, Academics

Watch the Top 10 Scholar-Athletes Video

By: UNC Athletic Communications

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Ten outstanding UNC student-athletes have been honored as this year's Top 10 Scholar-Athletes, recognizing the seniors who have maintained the highest cumulative grade point averages while representing North Carolina as a member of a varsity team.

The 2019-20 honorees, all of whom graduated from UNC on May 10, are:

Jamie Antinori (Gymnastics), a biology major with minors in chemistry and neuroscience.

Andrew Heise (Men's Swimming and Diving), a public health and economics double major.

Brian Lee (Men's Fencing), a political science major and information systems minor.

Jackie Litynski (Women's Fencing), a public policy and environmental sciences double major.

A.J. Rechenmacher (Wrestling), a biomedical and health sciences engineering major with a minor in chemistry.

Liz Roberts (Women's Basketball), an exercise and sport science major with a minor in coaching education.

Hunter Sheridan (Football), a business administration major.

Ashley Smith (Women's Cross Country/Track & Field), a computer science major with a minor in Hispanic studies.

Ezra Wright (Men's Fencing), a women and gender studies and Hispanic literature and culture double major

Caroline Young (Rowing), a business administration and history double major with a minor in philosophy, politics and economics.

The Top 10 Scholar-Athletes generally are recognized at UNC's annual Academic Awards Luncheon, which was cancelled this year due to the Covid-19 shutdown. The lunch includes a speech by each of the 10 honorees, who offer advice to underclassmen and also introduce an invited faculty member who has had an impact on the student-athlete's career at UNC.

"These students have excelled at balancing it all: thriving academically, participating in campus activities and successfully managing the time demands of playing a varsity sport," said Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham, who speaks at the banquet each year. "They have participated in research, they have studied abroad – and they have made important connections with our outstanding faculty."

Hats off to these 🔟 for the phenomenal job they did balancing academics and athletics 💪 We thank them for the way they represent all of us! 📰➡️ https://t.co/BD54zmOSBe #GoHeels | #TogetherWeWin pic.twitter.com/LGmiC1AWEi — UNC Tar Heels (@GoHeels) May 13, 2020

Read on for more on each honoree:

Jamie Antinori is from Park City, Utah. She been inducted in Phi Beta Kappa and has been on the Dean's List in every semester. She has conducted research on air pollution and lung health at the Alexis Lab in the Center for Environmental Medicine, Asthma and Lung Biology and plans to work there full time after graduation while applying to medical school.

The faculty member she chose to honor was Dr. Gidi Shemer (Biology). "He has helped me realize how important it is to have a good understanding of molecular biology to more fully understand medical issues, and has helped me genuinely enjoy learning difficult biology topics," Antinori said.

Andrew Heise is from Ann Arbor, Mich. He has been named to the Dean's List each semester and has conducted research for the Center for Health Equity Research on the relationship between opioid dependency, incarceration and HIV/AIDS. Following graduation, he plans to work for Guidehouse Consulting in Chicago.

The faculty member he chose to honor was Dr. Karl Umble (Health Policy & Management). "I first met Dr. Umble as a freshman and he guided me through the HPM admissions process and has been an incredible resource during my time in the department," Heise said. "Dr. Umble is always willing to make time for his students and is a conscientious and thoughtful professor and leader."

Brian Lee is from Allendale, N.J. A men's foil team captain, he spent the fall of 2019 studying abroad in Paris. He will work at a law school in New York City and plans to eventually attend law school.

The faculty member Lee chose to honor was Dr. Ron Bergquist (Information and Library Science). "He taught with such enthusiasm each and every day and really showed a passion for what he was teaching to us," Lee said. "I carried that same enthusiasm to my own life, whether that was in my relationships, my fencing or in the classroom, so I thank him very much for that."

Jackie Litynski is from Niskayuna, N.Y. She studied abroad in Israel during the fall semester and has been named to the Dean's List every semester at UNC. She has been inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and has contributed extensively to the APPLES Service-Learning program. After graduation, she plans to work for a political campaign until the November elections and then work in environmental/renewable energy policy.

The faculty member she chose to honor is Aimee McHale (Public Health), her professor for Policy 101 (Making Public Policy) during the spring of her freshman year at UNC. "She was a very welcoming professor who inspired me to continue on my path in public policy," Litynski said. "I have stayed in touch with her since I took her class my freshman year, and she has continued to give me advice and guidance here at UNC."

A.J. Rechenmacher is from Batavia, Ill. He has been inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and is the winner of the 2020 Wells Fargo Postgraduate Scholarship. While at UNC, he was active in the Newman Catholic Student Center Parish, built a pneumatically actuated 3D printed prosthetic hand, and visited patients at UNC Hospitals each Saturday.

He will enroll at Duke School of Medicine and plans to become an orthopedic surgeon.

The faculty member he chose to honor is Dr. Naji Husseini (Biomedical Engineering). "He has been an example of selflessly dedicating oneself entirely to a career in all aspects, both big and small," Rechenmacher said. "This has made a significant impact on how I hope to approach my future career as a doctor."

Liz Roberts is from Chapel Hill. She studied abroad in London last summer, has been part of the Dean's List each semester and has been inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. She plans to pursue a master's degree in sport administration and work toward a career in coaching basketball.

The faculty member she chose to honor is Dr. Robert Malekoff (Exercise & Sport Science). "He consistently went above and beyond his role as a professor to be a life advisor for me," Roberts said. "I relied on his advice throughout my journey at UNC. His support in the classroom, and on the court was unmatched. In addition, his 'Introduction to Sport Administration' and 'Finance and Economics of Sport' classes sparked my passion for the career path that I hope to pursue after Carolina."

Hunter Sheridan is from Charlotte. A member of the Dean's List each semester, he participated in and also was a student leader for Kenan-Flagler's Finance Trek, in which UNC students visit New York City investment banks. He interned with UNC Management Company as well as with Bank of American Merrill Lynch, where he'll work following graduation. He plans to pursue a career in investment banking or private equity.

The faculty member he chose to honor is Shawn Munday (Finance – Kenan-Flagler). "He Takes an incredible amount of time to teach students as much as he can and help them as much as he can professionally and academically," Sheridan said. "He's a great leader who's incredibly smart and helped me instrumentally in identifying, preparing for, and pursuing my career interests."

Ashley Smith is from Clemmons, N.C. She was honored with a 2020 Chancellor's Award, the Irene F. Lee Award, which is presented to the woman in the senior class who is judged most outstanding in leadership, character and scholarship. She will pursue a master of science degree in computer engineering at Virginia Tech.

The faculty member she chose to honor is Dr. Gary Bishop (Computer Science). "I chose him because he helped me complete my first project in computer science and gave me the confidence to be a successful student in the department," Smith said.

Wright is from Washington, D.C. He was honored with two Chancellor's Awards in 2020: the Mary Turner Lane Award in Women's and Gender Studies and The Sterling A. Stoudemire Award for Excellence in Spanish. He plans to work as a community organizer in Durham or Washington, D.C. After studying abroad in Ecuador in the summer of 2019, he hopes eventually to live there and work in community organization.

The faculty member he honored is Dr. Emil Keme (Romance Studies). "He has taught me to engage with, recognize, and challenge the white supremacist institutions that surround me," Wright said. "He has guided my academic passions more than any other professor."

Caroline Young is from Sandy, Utah. She has been inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and is a James M. Johnston scholar. She completed a Burch Honors Research Seminar in London and Ireland and a Kenan-Flagler Global Immersion in Indonesia and Singapore. After graduation, she will work as a financial analyst for the Walt Disney Company.

The faculty member she chose to honor is Dr. Larry Chavis (Strategy/Entrepreneurship – Kenan-Flagler). "Professor Chavis was my professor for International Development and my global immersion elective in Indonesia and Singapore," Young said. "He somehow led a large group of 20-year-olds through both concrete and actual jungles in Asia without any major injuries. This elective and Larry's teaching helped me finally connect the things I was learning in my history major and philosophy minor to business. He cares for all of his students and makes complex and hard-to-discuss concepts relatable. He makes sure that we understand the concepts we are learning from diverse perspectives and never misses an opportunity for a pop culture reference."