Thirty-Seven Terps Earn Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Honors
7/14/2022 11:00:00 AM | Field Hockey, Football, Men's Golf, Men's Lacrosse, Men's Soccer, Softball, Track & Field, Women's Lacrosse, Women's Soccer, Women's Tennis, Wrestling, Gymnastics, Volleyball, The Barry & Mary Gossett Center for Acad
ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference announced that 37 Maryland student-athletes competing in intercollegiate athletics were named Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Award recipients.
The list includes student-athletes from 14 different teams who have recorded a minimum grade-point average (GPA) of 3.7 or higher for the previous academic year. Six Maryland student-athletes maintained a perfect. 4.0 GPA over the 2020-21 academic year: Alice Barnsdale (women's track & field), Peter Capozzoli (men's track & field), Will Koras (men's golf), Angel Nkwonta (women's track & field), Kristen Quick (gymnastics) and Olivia Reese (women's soccer).
Big Ten Faculty Representatives established the Distinguished Scholar Award in 2008 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, 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 Academic All-Big Ten threshold is a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher for a student's academic career.
The list includes student-athletes from 14 different teams who have recorded a minimum grade-point average (GPA) of 3.7 or higher for the previous academic year. Six Maryland student-athletes maintained a perfect. 4.0 GPA over the 2020-21 academic year: Alice Barnsdale (women's track & field), Peter Capozzoli (men's track & field), Will Koras (men's golf), Angel Nkwonta (women's track & field), Kristen Quick (gymnastics) and Olivia Reese (women's soccer).
Big Ten Faculty Representatives established the Distinguished Scholar Award in 2008 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, 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 Academic All-Big Ten threshold is a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher for a student's academic career.
2021-22 Big Ten Distinguished Scholars
| Student-Athlete | Sport | Major |
|---|---|---|
| Christina Calandra | Field Hockey | Communication |
| Riley Donnelly | Field Hockey | Bioengineering |
| Nathalie Fiechter | Field Hockey | Criminology |
| Jeshaun Jones | Football | M.Prof.Studies: Technology Entrepreneurship |
| Will Koras | Men's Golf | Communication |
| Drew Morris | Men's Lacrosse | Business & Management |
| Roman Puglise | Men's Lacrosse | Finance |
| Joe Suchecki | Men's Soccer | History |
| Peter Capozzoli | Men's Track & Field | Aerospace Engineering |
| Taylor Liguori | Softball | Communication |
| Jaeda McFarland | Softball | Accounting |
| Megan Mikami | Softball | Marketing |
| Christine Laurie | Women's Cross Country and Track & Field | Kinesiology |
| Mackenzie Morgan | Women's Cross Country and Track & Field | Public Health Science |
| Kirstin Nichols | Women's Cross Country and Track & Field | Journalism |
| Sophia Zell | Women's Cross Country and Track & Field | Mechanical Engineering |
| Elizabeth DeBarberie | Gymnastics | Early Childhood and Special Education |
| Sophia LeBlanc | Gymnastics | Psychology |
| Kristen Quick | Gymnastics | Community Health |
| Emma Silberman | Gymnastics | Psychology |
| Olivia Weir | Gymnastics | Kinesiology |
| Shaylan Ahearn | Women's Lacrosse | Communication & Psychology |
| LaRen Blakesley | Women's Lacrosse | Kinesiology |
| Grace Griffin | Women's Lacrosse | Sociology |
| Victoria Hensh | Women's Lacrosse | Communication & Marketing |
| Libby May | Women's Lacrosse | Public Health Science |
| Emily Sterling | Women's Lacrosse | Public Health Science |
| Anna Carazza | Women's Soccer | Undecided (Letters & Sciences) |
| Olivia Reese | Women's Soccer | Undecided (Letters & Sciences) |
| Krista Varrichione | Women's Soccer | Information Studies |
| Simar Ahuja | Tennis | Biological Sciences |
| Alice Barnsdale | Women's Track & Field | Geographical Sciences |
| Ashley Germain | Women's Track & Field | Kinesiology |
| Kamryn Henderson | Women's Track & Field | Bioengineering |
| Angel Nkwonta | Women's Track & Field | Health Administration |
| Jessica Sutter | Women's Track & Field | Agricultural Science & Technology |
| Destiny Ward | Women's Track & Field | Teaching, Learning, Policy, & Leadership |
| Maddie Naumann | Volleyball | Psychology & Philosophy |
| Zach Spence | Wrestling | Landscape Architecture |
-- TERPS --
Players Mentioned
M
/ Women's Lacrosse
/ Women's Tennis
throws
/ Track & Field
A
/ Women's Lacrosse
GK
/ Field Hockey
distance
/ Track & Field
F
/ Women's Soccer
AA
/ Gymnastics
D
/ Field Hockey
M
/ Field Hockey
Jumps/Multi
/ Track & Field
M
/ Women's Lacrosse
throws
/ Track & Field
A
/ Women's Lacrosse
WR
/ Football
/ Men's Golf
distance
/ Track & Field
AA
/ Gymnastics
INF
/ Softball
A
/ Women's Lacrosse
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
middle distance
/ Track & Field
G
/ Men's Lacrosse
DS
/ Volleyball
distance
/ Track & Field
throws
/ Track & Field
M
/ Men's Lacrosse
AA
/ Gymnastics
M
/ Women's Soccer
AA
/ Gymnastics
125 lbs.
/ Wrestling
G
/ Women's Lacrosse
MF
/ Men's Soccer
throws
/ Track & Field
G
/ Women's Soccer
sprints
/ Track & Field
AA
/ Gymnastics
distance
/ Track & Field2026 Football Single Game Tickets & Mini Packs on Sale Now
Wednesday, May 27
2026 Football Single Game Tickets & Mini Packs on Sale Now
Wednesday, May 27
2026 Football Single Game Tickets & Mini Packs on Sale Now
Wednesday, May 27
Among Maryland legends 🐢
Thursday, May 21
