UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Led by 26 students who earned perfect 4.0 grade point averages, the Penn State student-athletes had 144 Big Ten Distinguished Scholars in the 2019-20 academic year, shattering the previous school record of 117 in 2018-19.
The 144 Nittany Lions who were recognized were the third-highest total in the conference.
The Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Award is presented to student-athletes who have recorded a grade-point average of 3.7 or higher during the previous academic year.
Penn State's five highest Big Ten Distinguished Scholar totals have come in the past five years, increasing 108 percent since the 2014-15 academic year (69 to 144). The 26 Nittany Lion students earning a 4.0 during the 2019-20 academic year are in increase of nine from last year.
The athletic department's academic success included 350 student-athletes earning Academic All-Big Ten honors and 125 Nittany Lions who graduated following the spring semester.
Penn State Big Ten Distinguished Scholar totals since 2014-15:
2019-20: 144 (school record)
2018-19: 117
2017-18: 90
2016-17: 97
2015-16: 81
2014-15: 69
The 26 Nittany Lions who posted perfect 4.0 GPAs during the 2019-20 academic year were: Alex Tomasko (men's cross country), Owen Wing (men's cross country), Julia Paternain (women's cross country), Medora McCarthy (women's fencing), Jade Rowland (women's fencing), Emma Spisak (field hockey), Blake Gillikin (football), Will Levis (football), Cameron Pica (football), Sarah Willis (women's golf), John Baldwin (men's gymnastics), Tess McCracken (women's gymnastics), Kristen Politz (women's gymnastics), Madison Carter (women's lacrosse), Kristin Roberto (women's lacrosse), Adam Laundree (men's soccer), Kerry Abello (women's soccer), Kristin Schnurr (women's soccer), Chelsea Bisi (softball) Claire Swedberg (softball), Gracey Hirsch (women's tennis), Spencer Hay (men's track & field), Payden Montana (women's track & field), Calvin Mende (men's volleyball), Serena Gray (women's volleyball) and Kristin Krause (women's volleyball).
A total of 28 of Penn State teams had at least one Big Ten Distinguished Scholar (men's and women's indoor and outdoor track & field are combined). Nine teams tied or set program records for Big Ten Distinguished Scholar recipients.
Russ Mushinsky, Director of the Morgan Academic Center, reported that the women's track & field team led all Penn State squads with 12 Big Ten Distinguished Scholars, which includes six members of the cross country team (counted once among the 144). The women's swimming team was next with 11 honorees, followed by women's lacrosse (10 honorees), men's track & field/cross country, football and women's hockey (nine honorees).
The school record of 144 honorees boosts Penn State to a total of 955 Big Ten Distinguished Scholars since the program was established by the Big Ten Faculty Representatives in 2008-09 to supplement the Academic All-Big Ten program.
Similar to the Academic All-Big Ten honor, Distinguished Scholar Award recipients must be in at least their second academic year at their institution. The Distinguished Scholar Award encompasses only students with a minimum GPA of 3.7 or higher for the previous academic year, excluding summer school.
The complete list of Big Ten Distinguished Scholars is available here.
-Penn State-