Walter Byers Scholarship Explained

The Walter Byers Scholar (also known as Walter Byers Scholarship, and Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarship) program is a scholarship program that recognizes the top male and female student-athlete in NCAA sports and that is awarded annually by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The NCAA's considers it its highest academic award.[1] [2] The NCAA initiated the Walter Byers Scholarship program in 1988 in recognition of the service of Walter Byers. The award is a postgraduate scholarship program designed to encourage excellence in academic performance by student-athletes. The recipients each year are the one male and one female student-athlete who has combined the best elements of mind and body to achieve national distinction for his or her achievements, and who promises to be a future leader in his or her chosen field of career service. Winners receive scholarships for postgraduate study.

Details

, the stipend for each Byers Scholarship was $24,000 for an academic year.[3] The scholarship amount is adjusted for the cost of living. The grant may be renewed for a second year based on academic progress. Financial need is not a factor in the granting of these scholarships. United States citizenship is not required to satisfy eligibility requirements. Awards from other sources will not disqualify an applicant, except that an awardee may not use more than one NCAA postgraduate scholarship.[4] The Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarship Program is separate and distinct from the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Program, which provides annual awards with smaller stipends.[4]

The five-person Walter Byers Scholarship Committee, established by the NCAA membership and appointed by the NCAA Divisions I, II and III Management Councils, administers the program. The committee membership is required to include at least one man and one woman, at least one member from each division and subdivision of Division I, and one member each from Division II and Division III.[5]

Among the most recognized for post-athletic career accomplishments are Randal Pinkett and Rob Pelinka. Of the winners the one most notable for having gone professional in his or her sport is National Football League veteran Rob Zatechka, who later went on to medical school.[6]

Some winners have won other notable awards. The following lists dual winners of certain awards:

Winners

The historical winners are as follows:[7]

YearMaleFemale
AthleteSportSchoolAthleteSportSchool
1989Richard HallBasketballBall State UniversityRegina CavanaghTrack and fieldRice University
1990Dean SmithBasketballUniversity of MaineLinda PopovichVolleyballBowling Green State University
1991J. David BrownTrack and field
Cross country
University of IowaMarie RoethlisbergerGymnasticsUniversity of Minnesota
1992David HoneaCross countryNorth Carolina State UniversitySigall KassuttoGymnasticsUniversity of California, Berkeley
1993Rob PelinkaBasketballUniversity of MichiganSheryl KlemmeBasketballSaint Joseph's College (Indiana)
1994Randal PinkettTrack and fieldRutgers UniversityChrista GannonBasketballUniversity of California, Santa Barbara
1995Robert ZatechkaFootballUniversity of Nebraska–LincolnCarla AinsworthSwimmingKenyon College
1996Christopher PalmerFootballSt. John's University (Minnesota)Tracey HolmesGolfUniversity of Kentucky
1997Scott KeaneTrack and fieldUniversity of CincinnatiMarya MorusiewiczVolleyballBarry University
1998Robert "Brad" GrayFootballMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyMarsha HarrisBasketballNew York University
1999Samuel "Calvin" ThigpenTrack and field
Cross country
University of MississippiGladys GanielTrack and field
Cross country
Providence College
2000Matthew BusbeeSwimmingAuburn UniversityAnna HallbergsonTennisBarry University
2001Bradley HendersonBasketballUniversity of ChicagoKimberly BlackSwimmingUniversity of Georgia
2002Kyle EashFootball
Track and field
Illinois Wesleyan UniversityClaudia VeritasLacrosseWellesley College
2003McLain "Mac" SchneiderFootballUniversity of North DakotaNatalie HalbachGymnasticsUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2004Joaquin ZalacainTennisUniversity of Puerto Rico, Rio PiedrasCorrin DrakulichTrack and fieldUniversity of Georgia
2005Matthew GunnTrack and field
Cross country
University of ArkansasSarah DanceSwimmingTruman State University
2006Bryan NorringtonTrack and fieldColorado CollegeAnnie BersagelTrack and field
Cross country
Wake Forest University
2007Dane ToddFootballUniversity of Nebraska–LincolnKatie KingsburyTennisWashington and Lee University
2008Dylan CarneyGymnasticsStanford UniversityBrenna BurnsTrack and field
Cross country
Davidson College
2009Craig SheedyDivingUniversity of ArizonaAmy MasseySoccerUniversity of Southern California
2010Joshua MahoneyFootballUniversity of Northern IowaKatherine TheisenTrack and field
Cross country
University of St. Thomas
2011J. David GatzSwimmingOhio Wesleyan UniversityJessica PixlarTrack and field
Cross country
Seattle Pacific University
2012Miles BattyTrack and field
Cross Country
Brigham Young UniversityKelsey WardSwimmingDrury University
2013Matt Horn Soccer Winthrop UniversityAlexa Duling Track and field University of South Dakota
2014Kyle Boden Football Emory and Henry CollegeKarenee Demery Soccer California State University, Stanislaus
2015Tofey James "T.J." Leon IV Swimming Auburn UniversityLucinda Kauffman Field Hockey Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
2016Mitchell Black Track and Field Tufts UniversityKatherine Riojas Soccer University of Tulsa
2017George Bugarinovic Basketball Johns Hopkins UniversityNandini Mehta Soccer Northwestern University
2018Michael Seward Hockey Harvard UniversityJennifer Carmichael Track and Field University of Oklahoma
2019Derek Soled Fencing Yale UniversityRachael Acker Swimming University of California, Berkeley
2020Xavier Gonzalez Tennis Harvard UniversityKayla Leland Cross Country
Basketball
Track and Field
Whitworth University
2021Soccer University of MichiganAsia Seidt Swimming University of Kentucky
2022Gavin Turner Fencing Pennsylvania State UniversityMackenzie Niness Swimming Villanova University[8]
2023Dylan Kim Fencing Princeton UniversityVolleyball University of Texas[9]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Two Track and Field Student-Athletes Earn NCAA's Highest Academic Award. January 25, 2008. The National Collegiate Athletic Association. May 11, 2006.
  2. Web site: NCAA Highest Academic Honor Awarded to Tennis and Football Student-Athletes. January 25, 2008. The National Collegiate Athletic Association. May 1, 2006.
  3. Web site: Gatz, Pixler win Byers Scholarships: Ohio Wesleyan swimmer, SPU runner win '11 honors. September 8, 2011. April 29, 2011. Lawrence, Marta. National Collegiate Athletic Association.
  4. Web site: Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarship Program. January 25, 2008. National Collegiate Athletic Association.
  5. Web site: Walter Byers Scholarship Committee. January 25, 2008. National Collegiate Athletic Association.
  6. Web site: Medical students unveil Match Day destinations. January 26, 2008. University of Nebraska Medical Center. March 19, 2004.
  7. Web site: Previous Walter Byers Scholars. January 25, 2008. The National Collegiate Athletic Association.
  8. Web site: Johnson . Greg . Niness, Turner named 2022 Byers Scholarship recipients . National Collegiate Athletic Association . December 3, 2023 . May 18, 2022.
  9. Web site: Eggleston, Kim named 2023 Byers Scholarship recipients . National Collegiate Athletic Association . December 3, 2023 . June 22, 2023.