Northwestern University Athletics

Northwestern Softball 2018 Graduation

Five #B1GCats Win Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Honor

7/10/2018 3:01:00 PM | Softball

EVANSTON, Ill. – Five Wildcats have been named 2018 Big Ten Distinguished Scholars, the conference office announced Tuesday.  

Graduate student Nicole Bond and seniors Abbey Boyd, Brooke Marquez, Sammy Nettling and Sabrina Rabin all won the award, giving the Wildcats their second-most Distinguished Scholar accolades in the decade-long history of the honor. Northwestern had six winners in 2016 after also earning five awards in 2014.

Nettling is a repeater as Big Ten Distinguished Scholar for the 'Cats; she also won the award in 2017. Marquez was singled out for special recognition by the conference after earning a perfect 4.0 GPA in 2017-18.

The award was established by the Big Ten Faculty Representatives to supplement the Academic All-Big Ten program. Distinguished Scholar Award recipients must be a recipient of Academic All-Big Ten Recognition in the previous academic year, must have been enrolled fulltime 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 3.0 or higher for a student's academic career.

Bond is completing a graduate degree in Integrated Marketing Communications. Boyd graduated last month with a degree in biological sciences. Marquez and Nettling both graduated with degrees in communication studies, and Rabin completed a double major in biological sciences and psychology.

"The entire Northwestern community is extremely proud of how our student-athletes represent the University academically, socially and athletically," said Combe Family Vice President for Athletics & Recreation Jim Phillips. "To have 81 Big Ten Distinguished Scholars is a testament to the commitment of excellence demonstrated by our student-athletes, their coaches and our academic support staff."

Overall, 81 Northwestern student-athletes from 17 of its varsity programs earned the prestigious recognition.

In May, Northwestern softball was one of 12 Wildcats programs to earn the nation's top Academic Progress Rate (APR) in their respective sports.


 

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