May 25, 2015
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -
Penn State cross country and track & field student-athlete Katie Rodden (Ardmore, Pa.) has been awarded a 2015 Big Ten Postgraduate Scholarship. Rodden, along with Penn State wrestling's Matt Brown were selected as Penn State's 2015 recipients.
"Katie Rodden is a perfect example of what we stand for at Penn State, having student-athletes who excel in both the classroom and in athletics," head coach and director of Penn State cross country and track & field John Gondak said. "I was very excited to see Katie finish her career here at Penn State with All-Region honors in cross country as well as maintaining her 4.0 GPA. She is well deserving of the Big Ten Postgraduate Scholarship."
Rodden recently graduated from Penn State as the College Marshall (Valedictorian) for the College of Health and Human Development with a 4.0 grade point average. She now plans on attending a summer business program at Dartmouth through their Tuck Business School to combine her interests of science and business.
On the cross country course, Rodden garnered back-to-back All-Region honors in 2013 (19th) & 2014 (24th). She was also a member of the 2012 & 2013 Penn State cross country teams that qualified for the NCAA Championships.
Rodden was also a member of the Penn State women's track & field team that won three-straight Big Ten titles. The Nittany Lions won back-to-back Big Ten titles at the outdoor conference meet (2013-14) and they also finished first at the 2014 indoor conference meet.
For her work in the classroom Rodden received numerous academic accolades during her time as a Nittany Lion. She was named All-Academic by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association and garnered Academic All-Big Ten honors.
"I am honored to receive the award and am so grateful to Penn State and my coaches for supporting me throughout my four years," Rodden said.
One male and one female student-athlete from each of the 14 Big Ten institutions who plan to continue their education at a graduate degree program are awarded a $7,500 scholarship, primarily based on academic achievements.
For more on Nittany Lion cross country and track & field, log onto www.GoPSUsports.com or follow the team on Twitter @PennStateTFXC.