MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State University held its fall commencement exercises on Saturday, December 12, and among those receiving degrees were 27 current or former Wildcat student-athletes.

Highlighting the 27 who graduated over the weekend were 13 members of the K-State football team, five from the track and field teams, three women’s basketball players, three equestrian student-athletes and one member each from the men’s golf and rowing programs. Also of note, former Wildcat football star and current assistant coach Joe Bob Clements received his master’s degree.

"Our top priority as an athletics department is to provide our student-athletes with a world-class experience and the opportunity to earn their degree," said Jill Shields, Assistant Athletics Director for Student Services. "These young people are to be commended for their hard work and determination and I know all of our coaches, staff members and former students join me in saluting them.”

K-State continues to rank among the league’s best in terms of academic success as it currently leads the Big 12 Conference in graduation rate with a four-class average of 67-percent, while the football and men’s basketball programs also are currently No. 1 in the league at 66-percent and 75-percent, respectively, in the same category.

The women’s basketball and track teams have also had continued success as both earned national team academic awards for the second consecutive season.

This past academic year, K-State student-athletes earned a total of 433 Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll accolades, including 93 perfect 4.0 grade-point averages, while also garnering four Academic All-America and 59 Academic All-Big 12 selections.

December 2009 Graduates

Equestrian (3)

Dana Johnson

Josie Kness

Hayley Milch

Football (13)

Chidubamu Abana

Eric Childs

Jeffrey Fitzgerald

Courtney Herndon

Jeron Mastrud (cum laude)

Billy McClellan

Cameronn Morrison

Tony Purvis

Jack Reed

Nick Stringer

Brock Unruh

Keithen Valentine

Matt Wykes

Men’s Golf (1)

Robert Streb

Rowing (1)

Jennifer Flannigan

Track and Field (5)

Jason Collett

Adam Fretwell

Liliani Mendez

Mike Myer

Scott Sellers

Women’s Basketball (3)

Marlies Gipson

Shalee Lehning

Danielle Zanotti