FARMVILLE, Va. – Kiersten Witte has excelled throughout her Lancer career in the classroom, and the Big South Conference awarded her, along with Winthrop baseball player Parker Whittle, the annual Bob McCloskey Insurance Big South Conference Graduate Fellowship, the conference office announced on Tuesday.
Witte becomes the seventh Longwood student-athlete to receive the McCloskey Graduate Fellowship since the Lancers joined the conference in 2012-13, joining
Madison Hommey (women's soccer, 2021),
Zach Potojecki (baseball, 2018),
Olivia Colella (women's soccer, 2016),
Taylor Cave (women's soccer, 2015),
Amy Lewis (field hockey, 2013) and
Stephen Shockley (men's basketball, 2013).
The fellowship will award $2,000 to Witte for her graduate studies at a special ceremony on Thursday, May 30 as part of the conference's annual Spring Awards Dinner Banquet. After graduating from Longwood with a major in Kinesiology and a minor in Biology, she will pursue her Doctorate of Physical Therapy at Old Dominion University.
Witte graduated with a 3.991 GPA this spring. She was a two-time Big South All-Academic Team honoree in cross country, and she has earned President's List accolades four times for a perfect GPA during a semester, in addition to her Dean's List recognition. She was also a two-time VaSID Academic All-State honoree twice.
While at Longwood, Witte received the Cormier Honors College Scholarship and has been an active member of the campus community. She received the Joan of Arc Award of Excellence, and she was member of the Phi Epsilon Kappa Academic fraternity for Health, Recreation and Kinesiology. She also earned the Keith Barkley Running Scholarship. She served as a Citizen Leader Chair of Student Educators for Active Leadership as well.
On the course and track, she posted her personal best time in cross country at the Big South Championship in October with a 21:14.5. At the Lancer Pink Invitational 5K, she finished 19
th.
This spring, she placed 20
th in the 1,500m preliminaries with a personal best time of 5:10.52, and she was 15
th in the 800m preliminaries with a season-best effort of 2:29.74.
Nominations for the Graduate Fellowship are made by the Faculty Athletics Representative or the Chief Academic Officer at a Big South member institution, and are limited to one male and one female at each school. To qualify for the Big South Conference Graduate Fellowship, applicants must have the following requirements:
- Have an overall undergraduate cumulative grade-point average of 3.500 or better based on a maximum 4.000, or the equivalent in other recognized grading systems;
- Have competed in intercollegiate athletics as a member of a varsity team at a Big South Conference member institution;
- Must be either a graduating senior during the academic year of the award, or be enrolled in a graduate program at a Big South Conference institution while completing the last year of eligibility;
- Intend to continue academic work beyond the baccalaureate degree and enroll into a graduate degree program at a properly accredited, non-profit educational institution or into a post-baccalaureate professional degree program at a professionally accredited law school, medical school or the equivalent, without restriction as to the national site of the institution;
- Have evidenced superior character and superior leadership;
- Have demonstrated that participation in athletics and community service has been a positive influence on the nominee's personal and intellectual development. Relative success in athletics is important but not of overriding significance;
- Enroll in a graduate degree program the term subsequent to being awarded the fellowship or present a rationale for deferred matriculation.
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