IOWA CITY, Iowa – Seventy-four University of Iowa student-athletes have been named Big Ten Conference Distinguished Scholars, it was announced Tuesday by the league office.
Among the Iowa honorees, 22 maintained a perfect 4.0 grade point average during the 2023-24 academic term, including:
Sofia Bush, women’s soccer
Samantha Cary, women’s soccer
Hillary Cox, field hockey
Molly Davis, Women’s Basketball
Harper Dunne, field hockey
Sharon Goodman, Women’s Basketball
Aaron Graves, football
Abby Jaynes, rowing
Luke Lachey, football
Lauren McMahon, women’s track & field/cross country
Katie Moore, women’s track & field/cross country
Julia Pattison, women’s track & field/cross country
Felipe Pedraza, men’s golf
Abby Ryon, women’s track & field/cross country
Lillian Schmidt, women’s track & field/cross country
Cullan Schriever, men’s wrestling
Sofie Stribos, field hockey
Kelli Tosic, women’s track & field/cross country
Ellie Twedt, women’s track & field/cross country
Michelle Urquhart, volleyball
Kaia Vanney, women’s gymnastics
Allison Zuhlke, women’s gymnastics
Big Ten Faculty Representatives established the Distinguished Scholar Award in 2008 to supplement the Academic All-Big Ten program. Distinguished Scholar Award recipients must have earned Academic All-Big Ten recognition in the previous academic year, must have been enrolled full time at the institution for the entire previous academic year (two semesters or three quarters) and earned a minimum GPA of 3.70 or better during the previous academic year, excluding any summer grades. The Academic All-Big Ten threshold is a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher for a student-athlete’s academic career.
The Big Ten recognized 1,696 student-athletes in 38 different sports as Distinguished Scholars, including 385 who maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA during the previous academic term.
Baseball (1)
Name – Year – Major – Hometown
Cade Moss – Sr. – Leadership Studies – Johnston, Iowa
Women’s Basketball (4)
Name – Year – Major – Hometown
Molly Davis – Fifth – Health Studies BA – Midland, Mich.
Sharon Goodman – RS Jr. – CLAS Non-degree Student – Lime Springs, Iowa
Taylor McCabe – So. – Civil Engineering BSE – Fremont, Neb.
Addison O’Grady – Jr. – Chemical Engineering – Aurora, Colo.
Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field (3)
Name – Year – Major – Hometown
Grant Conway – Sr. – Sport and Recreation Management – St. James, Mo.
Gratt Reed – Sr. – Finance – Atlantic, Iowa
Austin West – Sr. – Sport and Recreation Management – Iowa City, Iowa
Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field (21)
Name – Year – Major – Hometown
*Alli Bookin-Nosbisch – Sr. – Sport and Recreation Management – Ottumwa, Iowa
*Grace Bookin-Nosbisch – Sr. – Sport and Recreation Management – Ottumwa, Iowa
Mariel Bruxvoort – Sr. – Accounting – Grand Rapids, Mich.
Ali Dorn – Sr. – Psychology – Madison, Wis.
Holly Duax – So. – Psychology – Sioux City, Iowa
*Claire Edmondson – Sr. – Ancient Civilization – Dubuque, Iowa
Laney Fitzpatrick – So. – Sport and Recreation Management – Davenport, Iowa
Dimia Guy – Sr. – Journalism and Mass Communication – Marion, Iowa
Jamie Kofron – Sr. – Finance – Tipton, Iowa
Lia Love – Jr. – Public Health – Chapel Hill, N.C.
*Brooke McKee – Sr. – Business Analytics and Information Systems – Johnston, Iowa
*Lauren McMahon – Sr. – Human Physiology – Ankeny, Iowa
Ella Meeuwsen – So. – Health Studies – Green Bay, Wis.
*Katie Moore – Sr. – Radiation Sciences – Olathe, Kan.
Julia Pattison – So. – Health Promotion – Arvada, Colo.
*Clare Pitcher – Sr. – Enterprise Leadership – Franklin, Wis.
Ellie Rickertsen – So. – Health Studies – Clinton, Iowa
*Abby Ryon – Sr. – Biology – Mount Pleasant, Iowa
*Lillian Schmidt – Jr. – Biomedical Engineering – Dubuque, Iowa
*Kelli Tosic – Sr. – Theatre Arts – Grayslake, Ill.
*Ellie Twedt – So. – Pharmacy – Elkhart, Iowa
Field Hockey (6)
Name – Year – Major – Hometown
Hillary Cox – Jr. – Mechanical Engineering – Wilmette, Ill.
Harper Dunne – Sr. – Global Health Studies – Fort Worth, Texas
Esme Gibson – Sr. – MPH Program – Worcestershire, England
Mia Magnotta – So. – Psychology – Forty-Fort, Pa.
Lieve Schalk – So. – Industrial Engineering – Vught, Netherlands
Sofie Stribos – Sr. – Civil Engineering – Brussels, Belgium
Football (9)
Name – Year – Major – Hometown
Jeremy Chaplin – Sr. – Sport and Recreation Management – Waverly, Iowa
Jack Dotzler – So. – Finance – Waunakee, Wis.
Greg Fagan – Jr. – Business Standard Admission – Council Bluffs, Iowa
Aaron Graves – Jr. – Exercise Science – Dayton, Iowa
Ethan Hurkett – Sr. – Management – Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Luke Lachey – Sr. – Enterprise Leadership – Columbus, Ohio
Jayden Montgomery – So. – Sport and Recreation Management – Suamico, Wis.
Quinn Schulte – Sr. – CLAS Non-degree student – Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Josef Smith – Sr. – Exercise Science – Britt, Iowa
Men’s Golf (2)
Name – Year – Major – Hometown
Callum Macfie – Sr. – Exercise Science – Yorkshire, England
Felipe Pedraza – Jr. – Business Analytics and Information Systems – Lima, Peru
Women’s Golf (1)
Name – Year – Major – Hometown
Madison Dabagia – So. – Elementary Education – Fort Wayne, Ind.
Women’s Gymnastics (1)
Name – Year – Major – Hometown
Kaia Vanney – So. – Health Studies – Redondo Beach, Calif.
Allison Zuhlke – Sr. – Enterprise Leadership – Waukesha, Wis.
Rowing (9)
Name – Year – Major – Hometown
Liz Blewett – Sr. – Finance – Dallas, Texas
Orla Cuffe – Jr. – Management – Auckland, New Zealand
Abby Jaynes – Sr. – Elementary Education – Greenwood Village, Colo.
Abbey Klostermann – Sr. – Biology – Davenport, Iowa
Taylor Lee – So. – Speech and Hearing Science – Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Myah Lugar – Jr. – Elementary Education – Kalona, Iowa
Emma Mask – Sr. – Nuclear Medicine Technology – Bettendorf, Iowa
Molly Shannon – Jr. – Elementary Education – Clinton, Iowa
Abby Thoms – Jr. – Nursing – Marion, Iowa
Women’s Soccer (8)
Name – Year – Major – Hometown
Sophia Bush – So. – Biology – Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Samantha Cary – Sr. – Sport Media and Culture – St. Charles, Mo.
Kellen Fife – So. – Enterprise Leadership – Bloomfield, Mich.
Maggie Johnston – Jr. – Elementary Education – Corona, Calif.
Elle Otto – Jr. – Enterprise Leadership – Grandville, Mich.
Kenzie Roling – Jr. – Enterprise Leadership – Waverly, Iowa
Halle Skibo – So. – Biology – Asheville, N.C.
Camille Welker – So. – Exercise Science – St. Louis, Mo.
Women’s Swimming & Diving (4)
Name – Year – Major – Hometown
Maddie Black – Sr. – Communication Studies – Longmont, Colo.
Makayla Hughbanks – Jr. – Enterprise Leadership – Bettendorf, Iowa
Alix O’Brien – Jr. – Enterprise Leadership – Apple Valley, Minn.
Leslie Wendel – So. – Business Direct Admission – Winnetka, Ill.
Women’s Tennis (5)
Name – Year – Major – Hometown
Daianne Hayashida – So. – Psychology – Lima, Peru
Pia Kranholdt – So. – Psychology – Hilders, Germany
Vipasha Mehra – Sr. – Science Studies – Calgary, Canada
Barbora Pokorna – Jr. – International Relations – Ostrava, Czech Republic
Marisa Schmidt – Jr. – Finance – Karlsruhe, Germany
Volleyball (4)
Name – Year – Major – Hometown
Jacqlyn Caspers – Grad. – Finance – Swaledale, Iowa
Amanda Darling – Sr. – English Education – Oswego, Ill.
Bailey Ortega – Sr. – Sport and Recreation Management – Davenport, Iowa
Michelle Urquhart – Sr. – Marketing – Virginia Beach, Va.
Men’s Wrestling (2)
Name – Year – Major – Hometown
Easton Fleshman – RS Fr. – Social Studies Education – Inwood, Iowa
Cullan Schriever – Jr. – Finance BBA – Mason City, Iowa
Women’s Wrestling (3)
Name – Year – Major – Hometown
Ava Bayless – So. – Human Pysiology – Greenville, Pa.
Emilie Gonzalez – So. – Exercise Science – El Monte, Calif.
Felicity Taylor – Fifth – Sport and Recreation Management – Spillville, Iowa
