Spartans Earn Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Designation

East Lansing, Mich. - The Big Ten Conference announced Monday its list of 2023-24 Big Ten Distinguished Scholars. The 2023-24 class of Distinguished Scholar Award recipients includes 132 overall honorees from Michigan State, 44 of them who maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA during the eligibility period.

Big Ten Faculty Representatives established the Distinguished Scholar Award in 2008 to supplement the Academic All-Big Ten program. Distinguished Scholar Award recipients must have earned Academic All-Big Ten recognition in the previous academic year, must have been enrolled full time 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.

A complete list of the 2023-24 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Award recipients can be found below.

Baseball
Tate Farquhar - So., Highland, Mich./Information Science
Dillon Kark - Sr., White Lake, Mich./ Strategic Communication
Dominic Pianto - Jr., Hendersonville, Tenn./Accounting
Nick Powers - Sr., Flushing, Mich./ Advertising Management
Gavin Sitarz - So., St. Charles, Ill./Finance
Christian Williams - Jr., Carmel, Ind./Kinesiology

Men's Basketball
Steven Izzo - Gr., East Lansing, Mich./ Education
Nick Sanders - So., Franklin, Mich./ Marketing

Women's Basketball
Julia Ayrault - Gr., Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich./Education MA

Field Hockey
Jillian Bonczewski - Jr., Larksville, Pa./Elementary Education
Cecily Charles - So., Millersville, Pa./Criminal Justice
Lulu Fulton - Sr., Auckland, NZ/Psychology
Ashley Harlock - Sr., Livonia, Mich./Neuroscience
Eliza Kreske - Sr., Ann Arbor, Mich./Social Relations and Policy
Emma O'Neill - Sr., Hummelstown, Pa./Special Education/Learning Disabilities
Skylar Santucci - So., . Medford, NJ/Criminal Justice
Alexa Shaffer - So., Hummelstown, Pa. /Kinesiology
Kim Smit - Sr., Assen, The Netherlands/Criminal Justice
Ellie Wheatley - Sr., Louisville, Ky. /Supply Chain Management

Football
Caleb Coley - So., Warner Robins, Ga./Communication
Sam Edwards - Sr., Williamston, Mich./ Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy
Maverick Hansen - Gr., Farmington Hills, Mich./Hospitality Business
Michael Masunas - So., Tucson, Ariz./Management
Ben Nelson - So., Holland, Mich./Management
Darius Snow - Gr., Hebron, Texas/Strategic Communication

Women's Golf
Paula Balanzategui - So., San Sebastian, Spain/Communication
Brooke Biermann - Jr., Wildwood, Mo./Human Capital and Society
Shannon Kennedy - Jr., Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Communication
Katie Lu - Jr., Plainsboro, N.J./Finance
Caroline McConnell - So., South Fayette, Pa./Accounting
Leila Raines - Sr., Galena, Ohio/Public Relations
Valentina Rossi - Sr., Rosario, Argentina/Supply Chain Management

Gymnastics
Naomi German - Sr., Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Marketing
Sydney Hayashi - Sr., Westerville, Ohio/Kinesiology
Lauren Hsu - Jr., Austin, Texas/Kinesiology
Jori Jackard - Gr., Haslett, Mich./Clinical Social Work MSW
Giana Kalefe - Sr., Corona, Calif./Advertising Management
Sage Kellerman - So., Croswell, Mich./Special Education/Learning Disabilities
Genevieve Lebster - Jr., Holland, Mich./Mechanical Engineering
Stephanie Lebster - So., Holland, Mich./Kinesiology
Nyah Smith - 5th-Sr., West Bloomfield, Mich./Human Capital and Society
Tara Walsh - Sr., Waterford, Mich./Social Relations and Policy

Hockey
Matt Basgall - So., Lake Forest, Ill. /Kinesiology/Dietetics
Tiernan Shoudy - So., Marysville, Mich./Finance

Rowing
Julie Armstrong - Sr., Troy, Mich./Communication
Breanna Berry - Sr., Stanwood, Mich./Digital Storytelling
Kat Borders - Sr., Granger, Ind./Human Biology
Lucy Botting - Sr., /Christchurch, New Zealand/Advertising Creative
Emily Crofut - So., Grand Ledge, Mich./Human Biology
Lillian Davidson-Walshe - So., Ann Arbor, Mich./Economics
Anna Drnkova - So., Jindrichuv Hradec, Czech Republic/Journalism
Maya Elbaranes - Sr., Vienna, Austria/Human Capital and Society
Freya Engel - Jr., Wokingham, England/Criminal Justice
Ellise Flessland - Sr., Grosse Ile, Mich./Special Education/Learning Disabilities
Kendall Gonya   - Jr., Galena, Ohio/Material Science and Engineering
Sabrina Gottschalk - Jr., Utica, Mich./Advertising Management
Kate Heinecke   - So., Saint Paul, Minn./Biosystems Engineering
Claudia Kingma - Sr., Norton Shores, Mich./   Kinesiology
Abby Marek - Jr., Pinckney, Mich./Psychology
Colby Orcutt - Jr., Fort Walton Beach, Fla.   Kinesiology
Isabelle Radakovich - So., Cody, Wyo./International Relations
Alaina Roush - So., /Petoskey, Mich./Biochem & Molecular Biology
Isabella Short - So., Canby, Ore./Human Biology
Sophia Stauffer - Sr., Rockford, Mich./Neuroscience
Grace Thomas - Jr., Ann Arbor, Mich./Kinesiology
Ava Woodard - So., Ashland, Va./Urban and Regional Planning

Men's Soccer
Jacob Cromer - Sr.,Northville, Mich./Advertising Management
Jack Guggemos - So., Okemos, Mich./Business
Zac Kelly - R-So., Holt, Mich./Crop and Soil Sciences
Josh Mason - So., South Lyon, Mich./Kinesiology
Greyson Mercer - Sr., Heber City, Utah/Supply Chain Management
Jonathan Stout   - So., Wyoming, Mich./Statistics

Women's Soccer
Sierra Curtis - Jr., Lake Orion, Mich./Public Relations
Regan Dalton - Sr., Rockford, Mich./Communication
Justina Gaynor - Sr., Shelby Township, Mich./Kinesiology
Maggie Illig - So., Troy, Mo./Kinesiology
Kelly Severini - Sr., Union, N.J./Advertising Management

Softball
Hailey Bila - So., Laingsburg, Mich./Kinesiology
Sydney Doloszycki - So., Saint John, Ind./Kinesiology
Anna Fox - Sr., Columbia, Tenn./Public Policy
Faith Guidry - Jr., Mont Belvieu, Texas/Human Biology
Ashlyn Roberts - Sr., Sammamish, Wash./Public Relations

Men's Tennis
Ozan Baris - So., Okemos, Mich./Communication
Luke Baylis - Sr., Clarkston, Mich./Psychology

Women's Tennis
Nicole Conard   - Gr., Boca Raton, Fla./Criminal Justice
Sarah Fazlagic   - So., Louisville, Ky. /Political Science-Prelaw

Men's Track and Field
Noah Sage - Jr., Fenton, Mich./Information Science
Ryan Talbot - Gr., Alto, Mich./Kinesiology
Ian Thompson   - So., Dorr, Mich./Finance
Brendan Vander Meer - Jr., Grand Haven, Mich./Supply Chain Management
Connor Williamson - So., Mason, Mich./Finance
Alex Yon - So., Hartland, Mich./Criminal Justice
Owen Gilbert - So., Battle Creek, Mich./Digital Storytelling
Nathan Larson - Sr., Dexter, Mich./Kinesiology
Andrew Nolan - Sr., Oxford, Mich./Applied Engineering
Alex Penski - Sr., Holt, Mich./Social Relations and Policy
Luke Perelli - Sr., Plymouth, Mich./Computer Science
Tyler Pritchett - Sr., Midland, Mich./Applied Engineering
Aden Smith - Gr., Alpena, Mich./Human Biology
Joshua Smith - Gr., Alpena, Mich./Kinesiology
CarLee Stimpfel - Gr., Cass City, Mich./Geography
Hunter Zartman - Sr., Kalamazoo, Mich./Marketing

Women's Track & Field
Natalie Blake - So., Holland, Mich./Human Biology
Anyssa Hall - So., New Castle, Ind./Journalism
Janan Khalil - Jr., Macomb, Mich./Packaging
Valadian Pallett - Jr., Farmington, Mich./Genomics & Molecular Genetics
Lizzie Babcock - Jr., Novi, Mich./Horticulture
Julia Bajt - Sr., Spring Lake, Mich./Human Biology
Emily Bardwell - Sr., Brunswick, OhioZoology
Sophia Bonnema - So., Holland, Mich./Physiology
Abbey Carvey   - Jr., Farmington, Mich./Neuroscience
Allison Chmielewski - So., Roscommon, Mich./Graphic Design
Sarah Forsyth - So., Ann Arbor, Mich./Communication
Madison Foster - So., Lambertville, Mich./Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Eleanor Kendell - Sr., Huntington Woodss, Mich./Marketing
Abbey Lee - Gr., Fenton, Mich./Global Health
Sophia Lucki - Jr., Toronto, Canada/Human Biology
Grace Molloy - Gr., Linlithgow, Scotland/Financial Planning & Wealth Management
Katie Osika - Gr., Waterford, Mich./Communication
Madison Price  -Sr., Trenton, Mich./Environmental Engineering
Judith Rector - Gr., Hanover, Mich./Media and Information
Kate Stewart-Barnett - Jr., New Westminster, B.C.Human Biology
Makenna Veen - Sr., Kalamazoo, Mich./Kinesiology
Chloe Wall - So., Waterford, Mich./Kinesiology
Alison Ziehl - Gr., Oxford, Mich./Global Health

Volleyball
Aliyah Moore - Jr., Surprise, Ariz./Kinesiology

Wrestling
Luke Daly - R-So., Carbondale, Ill./Accounting
Ceasar Garza-R-Fr., Oakdale, Calif./Elementary Education
Andy Hampton -R-So., Rochester, Mich./Marketing
Marty Larkin - R-Sr., Orland Park, Ill./Kinesiology
Blake Noonan   -R-Jr., Rochester Hills, Mich./Human Biology
Konner Roche - R-So., Frankenmuth, Mich./Kinesiology

Players Mentioned

Julie Armstrong

Julia Ayrault

Lizzie Babcock

Julia Bajt

Paula Balanzategui

Emily Bardwell

Ozan Baris

Matt Basgall

Luke Baylis

Breanna Berry

Brooke Biermann

Hailey Bila

Natalie Blake

Jillian Bonczewski

Sophia Bonnema

Kat Borders

Lucy Botting

Abbey Carvey

Cecily Charles

Allison Chmielewski

Caleb Coley

Nicole Conard

Emily Crofut

Jacob Cromer

Sierra Curtis

Regan Dalton

Luke Daly

Lillian Davidson-Walshe

Sydney Doloszycki

Anna Drnkova

Sam Edwards

Maya Elbaranes

Freya Engel

Tate Farquhar

Sarah Fazlagic

Ellise Flessland

Sarah Forsyth

Madison Foster

Anna Fox

Lulu Fulton

Ceasar Garza

Justina Gaynor

Naomi German

Owen Gilbert

Kendall Gonya

Sabrina Gottschalk

Jack Guggemos

Faith Guidry

Anyssa Hall

Andy Hampton

Maverick Hansen

Ashley Harlock

Sydney Hayashi

Kate Heinecke

Lauren Hsu

Maggie Illig

Steven Izzo

Jori Jackard

Giana Kalefe

Dillon Kark

Sage Kellerman

Zac Kelly

Eleanor Kendell

Shannon Kennedy

Janan Khalil

Claudia Kingma

Eliza Kreske

Marty Larkin

Nathan Larson

Genevieve Lebster

Stephanie Lebster

Abbey Lee

Katie Lu

Sophia Lucki

Abby Marek

Josh Mason

Michael Masunas

Caroline McConnell