Northwestern University Athletics

Six Wildcats Earn Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Award
7/11/2016 8:31:00 AM | Softball
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Six softball Wildcats earned the Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Award for 2015-16, part of a school-record 82 Northwestern student-athletes to pick up the prestigious honor last season.
Graduate students Andrea Filler and Amy Letourneau, seniors Brianna LeBeau and Fran Strub, and juniors Anna Petersen and Krista Williams won the accolade for the #B1GCats.
The award, in its eighth year of existence, was established by the Big Ten Faculty Representatives to supplement the Academic All-Big Ten program. Similar to the Academic All-Big Ten honor, Distinguished Scholar Award recipients must be letterwinners in at least their second academic year at their institution. However, this award encompasses only student-athletes with a minimum GPA of 3.7 or higher for the current academic year, excluding summer school.
The Academic All-Big Ten threshold is a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher for their academic career. A program-record 13 softball student-athletes won that honor in 2016.
The majors across NU's six B1G Distinguished Scholars are diverse. Filler is a master's of sports administration candidate while Letourneau pursued a post-baccalaureate certificate in finance last year. The four undergraduate majors comprised communication studies (LeBeau), human development and psychological services (Strub), mechanical engineering (Petersen) and economics (Williams).
NU's academic success comes against the backdrop of its 11th NCAA Tournament season in the 15-year coaching tenure of Kate Drohan and Caryl Drohan. The duo won their 500th game as Wildcats during the 2016 campaign.
Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook, check us out on Instagram, visit our Social Media page and download our mobile app from the Apple Store and Google Play! To get involved with the #B1GCats, become a season-ticket holder or join the Wildcat Fund!
Graduate students Andrea Filler and Amy Letourneau, seniors Brianna LeBeau and Fran Strub, and juniors Anna Petersen and Krista Williams won the accolade for the #B1GCats.
The award, in its eighth year of existence, was established by the Big Ten Faculty Representatives to supplement the Academic All-Big Ten program. Similar to the Academic All-Big Ten honor, Distinguished Scholar Award recipients must be letterwinners in at least their second academic year at their institution. However, this award encompasses only student-athletes with a minimum GPA of 3.7 or higher for the current academic year, excluding summer school.
The Academic All-Big Ten threshold is a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher for their academic career. A program-record 13 softball student-athletes won that honor in 2016.
The majors across NU's six B1G Distinguished Scholars are diverse. Filler is a master's of sports administration candidate while Letourneau pursued a post-baccalaureate certificate in finance last year. The four undergraduate majors comprised communication studies (LeBeau), human development and psychological services (Strub), mechanical engineering (Petersen) and economics (Williams).
NU's academic success comes against the backdrop of its 11th NCAA Tournament season in the 15-year coaching tenure of Kate Drohan and Caryl Drohan. The duo won their 500th game as Wildcats during the 2016 campaign.
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Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook, check us out on Instagram, visit our Social Media page and download our mobile app from the Apple Store and Google Play! To get involved with the #B1GCats, become a season-ticket holder or join the Wildcat Fund!
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