University of North Carolina Athletics
More than 200 students, professors, coaches and staff members gathered Wednesday for the annual Academic Awards Luncheon.
Photo by: UNC Athletic Communications
Academic Awards Luncheon Highlights Top 10 Scholar-Athletes
May 4, 2023 | Men's Lacrosse, Women's Golf, Women's Gymnastics, Women's Rowing, Cross Country, Track & Field, Fencing, Academics
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Carolina Athletics celebrated continued academic excellence on Wednesday at the Academic Awards Luncheon, the 10th such event and first at full-strength since the pandemic. Student-athletes from all 28 varsity sports gathered at the Loudermilk Center Blue Zone with professors, coaches and staff – as well as Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz and Provost Christopher Clemens – to hand out awards and salute success.
Each year, UNC recognizes the 10 graduating student-athletes – five women and five men – with the highest grade point averages as Top 10 Scholar-Athletes, and their speeches provided the afternoon's highlights. Their words were impactful, reminding their teammates and other student-athletes how special – and how brief – their time in Chapel Hill really is. "Hard work doesn't feel so much like hard work when you're surrounded by people you care deeply about," said men's lacrosse senior P.J. Zinsner. "It's truly been a pleasure."
This year's 10 honorees, who between them average a decidedly-not-average 3.92 GPA – are Patrick Crockett (Men's Track & Field), Elizabeth Culton (Gymnastics), Sarah Followill (Women's Fencing), Jessica Judge (Rowing), Krista Junkkari (Women's Golf), Alex Morris (Women's Track & Field/Cross Country), Will Palazzolo (Men's Fencing), Graham Schwartz (Men's Lacrosse), Henry Shugart (Men's Fencing) and P.J. Zinsner (Men's Lacrosse).
Stepping up to the lectern one by one, they spoke of finding a community in Chapel Hill, of discovering academic interests they'd never even considered, and of discovering (just as Followill's father advised her before she came to UNC) that college is about much more than what you learn in the classroom.
Junkkari, who is from Finland, related the challenges of excelling academically and athletically far from home in a language that was not her first. Morris told the crowd that "there's no greater gift than getting to pursue something you're really passionate about." Shugart reminded younger student-athletes how much support is available to them.
Each of the Top 10 Scholar-Athletes invited an impactful professor to attend the lunch, and other senior student-athletes were invited to do the same. Members of the Faculty Athletics Committee also attended, providing a strong faculty presence and an opportunity to salute those who make the academic experience at Carolina what it is.
The program also included recognition for those who have earned perfect 4.0 grade point averages over the past two semesters – seven student-athletes, including Shugart, have done so in both semesters – and applause for the long list of those who earned academic honors over the past calendar year.
As Guskiewicz pointed out, many of the students at the luncheon were seniors who could look out the Blue Zone windows and see the Kenan Stadium turf where they'd be graduating 10 days later. (Many of the seniors went straight from the luncheon to pick up their student-athlete stoles, courtesy of the Rams Club, and have senior photos taken.) On Wednesday, all could look around the Blue Zone and pick out many people – teammates, coaches, academic counselors and faculty members – who have left a lasting mark.
Junkkari, a psychology and exercise & sport science major, perhaps summed it up best: "I might be leaving Carolina for now," she said, "but Carolina will never leave me and I'm forever grateful for that."
2022-23 Top 10 Scholar-Athletes and their faculty guests:
Patrick Crockett (Men's Track & Field)
Major: Exercise & Sport Science – Fitness Professional track; Minor: Spanish for the Medical Professions
Faculty guest: Dr. Alain Aguilar, Teaching Associate Professor, Exercise & Sport Science
Elizabeth Culton (Gymnastics)
Major: Psychology
Faculty guest: Ling Beisecker, PhD candidate, Exercise & Sport Science
Sarah Followill (Women's Fencing)
Major: Environmental Studies; Minors: Studio Arts, Geographic Information Sciences
Faculty guest: Dr. Javier Arce-Nazario, Professor, Geography
Jessica Judge (Rowing)
Major: Information Science; Minor: Statistics & Analytics
Faculty guest: Dr. Ron Bergquist, Teaching Associate Professor,
School of Information and Library Science
Krista Junkkari (Women's Golf)
Majors: Psychology, Exercise & Sport Science
Faculty guests: Dr. Dana Riger, Clinical Assistant Professor, School of Education
Dr. Eric Youngstrom, Professor, Psychology and Psychiatry
Alex Morris (Women's Cross Country/Track & Field)
Major: Biology; Minor: Chemistry
Faculty guest: Dr. Nita Eskew, Teaching Associate Professor, Chemistry
Will Palazzolo (Men's Fencing)
Major: Business Administration; Minors: Statistics & Analytics, Data Science
Faculty guest: Greg Hohn, Clinical Assistant Professor, Kenan-Flagler Business School
Graham Schwartz (Men's Lacrosse)
Major: Biology; Minors: Chemistry, Health & Society
Faculty guest: Dr. Dan McKay, Associate Professor, Biology and Genetics
Henry Shugart (Men's Fencing)
Majors: Statistics & Analytics, Mathematics; Minor: Data Science
Faculty guest: Dr. Boyce Griffith, Professor, Mathematics and Biomedical Engineering
P.J. Zinsner (Men's Lacrosse)
Majors: Economics, Mathematics
Faculty guests: Dr. Shahar Kovalsky, Assistant Professor, Mathematics
Michael Chitwood, Professor, English & Comparative Literature
Each year, UNC recognizes the 10 graduating student-athletes – five women and five men – with the highest grade point averages as Top 10 Scholar-Athletes, and their speeches provided the afternoon's highlights. Their words were impactful, reminding their teammates and other student-athletes how special – and how brief – their time in Chapel Hill really is. "Hard work doesn't feel so much like hard work when you're surrounded by people you care deeply about," said men's lacrosse senior P.J. Zinsner. "It's truly been a pleasure."
Love when we get to celebrate our tremendous student-athletes 👏
📰 » https://t.co/C2wtY9zc6Q#GoHeels x @UNC_ASPSA pic.twitter.com/N3aCRIY6oa
— UNC Tar Heels (@GoHeels) May 4, 2023
This year's 10 honorees, who between them average a decidedly-not-average 3.92 GPA – are Patrick Crockett (Men's Track & Field), Elizabeth Culton (Gymnastics), Sarah Followill (Women's Fencing), Jessica Judge (Rowing), Krista Junkkari (Women's Golf), Alex Morris (Women's Track & Field/Cross Country), Will Palazzolo (Men's Fencing), Graham Schwartz (Men's Lacrosse), Henry Shugart (Men's Fencing) and P.J. Zinsner (Men's Lacrosse).
Stepping up to the lectern one by one, they spoke of finding a community in Chapel Hill, of discovering academic interests they'd never even considered, and of discovering (just as Followill's father advised her before she came to UNC) that college is about much more than what you learn in the classroom.
Junkkari, who is from Finland, related the challenges of excelling academically and athletically far from home in a language that was not her first. Morris told the crowd that "there's no greater gift than getting to pursue something you're really passionate about." Shugart reminded younger student-athletes how much support is available to them.
Each of the Top 10 Scholar-Athletes invited an impactful professor to attend the lunch, and other senior student-athletes were invited to do the same. Members of the Faculty Athletics Committee also attended, providing a strong faculty presence and an opportunity to salute those who make the academic experience at Carolina what it is.
The program also included recognition for those who have earned perfect 4.0 grade point averages over the past two semesters – seven student-athletes, including Shugart, have done so in both semesters – and applause for the long list of those who earned academic honors over the past calendar year.
As Guskiewicz pointed out, many of the students at the luncheon were seniors who could look out the Blue Zone windows and see the Kenan Stadium turf where they'd be graduating 10 days later. (Many of the seniors went straight from the luncheon to pick up their student-athlete stoles, courtesy of the Rams Club, and have senior photos taken.) On Wednesday, all could look around the Blue Zone and pick out many people – teammates, coaches, academic counselors and faculty members – who have left a lasting mark.
Junkkari, a psychology and exercise & sport science major, perhaps summed it up best: "I might be leaving Carolina for now," she said, "but Carolina will never leave me and I'm forever grateful for that."
2022-23 Top 10 Scholar-Athletes and their faculty guests:
Patrick Crockett (Men's Track & Field)
Major: Exercise & Sport Science – Fitness Professional track; Minor: Spanish for the Medical Professions
Faculty guest: Dr. Alain Aguilar, Teaching Associate Professor, Exercise & Sport Science
Elizabeth Culton (Gymnastics)
Major: Psychology
Faculty guest: Ling Beisecker, PhD candidate, Exercise & Sport Science
Sarah Followill (Women's Fencing)
Major: Environmental Studies; Minors: Studio Arts, Geographic Information Sciences
Faculty guest: Dr. Javier Arce-Nazario, Professor, Geography
Jessica Judge (Rowing)
Major: Information Science; Minor: Statistics & Analytics
Faculty guest: Dr. Ron Bergquist, Teaching Associate Professor,
School of Information and Library Science
Krista Junkkari (Women's Golf)
Majors: Psychology, Exercise & Sport Science
Faculty guests: Dr. Dana Riger, Clinical Assistant Professor, School of Education
Dr. Eric Youngstrom, Professor, Psychology and Psychiatry
Alex Morris (Women's Cross Country/Track & Field)
Major: Biology; Minor: Chemistry
Faculty guest: Dr. Nita Eskew, Teaching Associate Professor, Chemistry
Will Palazzolo (Men's Fencing)
Major: Business Administration; Minors: Statistics & Analytics, Data Science
Faculty guest: Greg Hohn, Clinical Assistant Professor, Kenan-Flagler Business School
Graham Schwartz (Men's Lacrosse)
Major: Biology; Minors: Chemistry, Health & Society
Faculty guest: Dr. Dan McKay, Associate Professor, Biology and Genetics
Henry Shugart (Men's Fencing)
Majors: Statistics & Analytics, Mathematics; Minor: Data Science
Faculty guest: Dr. Boyce Griffith, Professor, Mathematics and Biomedical Engineering
P.J. Zinsner (Men's Lacrosse)
Majors: Economics, Mathematics
Faculty guests: Dr. Shahar Kovalsky, Assistant Professor, Mathematics
Michael Chitwood, Professor, English & Comparative Literature
Players Mentioned
Throws
/ Track & Field
AA
/ Women's Gymnastics
Foil/Right Hand
/ Fencing
/ Women's Rowing
/ Women's Golf
Distance
/ Track & Field
Foil/Right Hand
/ Fencing
Face-Off Midfielder
/ Men's Lacrosse
Epee/Right Hand
/ Fencing
Midfielder
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