Pair of Wildcats Earn Postgraduate Scholarship

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Two Kansas State student-athletes have been named recipients of the 2010-11 Dr. Prentice Gautt Postgraduate Scholarships in an announcement by the Big 12 Conference. The two Wildcats to earn this year’s honor were Jason Schulte of the men’s golf team and Alecia Zimbelman of the equestrian team.

Schulte was a three-time Academic All-Big 12 first team selection for head coach Tim Norris’ squad. Schulte, a native of Mission Hills, Kan., served as the team captain during the 2010-11 campaign and competed in three events with a stroke average of 74.33. Schulte’s future plans include a 10-week stint in Officer Candidate School with the United States Marine Corps., beginning this week in Quantico, Va. If commissioned, he will enter inactive reserve duty while he attends Washburn University in Topeka for law school.

Zimbelman earned Academic All-Big 12 first team honors for the inaugural at-large team from the league this season. The product of St. Francis, Kan., concluded her Wildcat career this year with a career record of 33-27-6 as a western rider for head coach Casie Lisabeth’s team. Zimbelman helped the Wildcats to consecutive Reserve National Championship honors at the VENC, which was a first in the program’s history.

Thursday’s honors add to K-State’s No. 1 all-sports graduation rate in the Big 12, an honor it has staked claim to in each of the past four years.

The scholarships are named in honor of the late Dr. Prentice Gautt, a former Big 12 Conference staff member and student services’ pioneer who passed away in March 2005. The list of all-time recipients has grown to 273 since the inception of the league in 1996-97. Starting in 2002-03, additional funding increased scholarship award winners to two per member institution.

To date the Big 12 has provided $1,835,600 for postgraduate education. The individual grants began at $2,500 in 1996-97, were raised to $5,000 in 1999, increased to $6,900 for 2004-05 and climbed to $7,500 in 2006-07.

Criteria for the awards includes a cumulative grade point average of 3.500 on a 4.000 scale, participation in at least two years of intercollegiate athletics at the nominee’s respective institution and completion of athletics’ eligibility. The student-athletes also must graduate from their respective member institutions within 15 months of their selection for a postgraduate scholarship and are expected to enroll in graduate/professional schools within two years of graduation. Three faculty representatives, one senior woman administrator and one director of athletics form the selection panel for the awards.

– k-statesports.com –