13 Kansas student-athletes named Dr. Gerald Lage Award recipients

IRVING, Texas – The Big 12 Conference announced the recipients of its highest academic honor, the Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award on Tuesday, with 13 Kansas student-athletes earning the accolade. In total, 111 student-athletes across the conference’s 10 schools were honored.
 
Emily Bermel (softball), Taylor Christie (soccer), Ariadna Fonseca Diaz (women’s golf), Courtney Griffiths (track & field), Kelly Koenigsman (rowing), Morgan Kottas (rowing), Lisa Lauschke (track & field), Chris Melgares (track & field), Patricia Montero (volleyball), Liana Ochoa (rowing), Megan Paule (track & field), Taylor Sieperda (swimming & diving) and Riley Varuska (rowing) will all receive the award and will be publicly recognized with their names being featured on the video board at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship, March 13-16, at the Sprint Center in Kansas City.
 
In its ninth year, the award and has recognized a total of 691 conference student-athletes. The award is in memory of Lage, who served as the Oklahoma State faculty athletics representative with the NCAA and the Big Eight/Big 12 Conference from 1983 until his death in 2007. He was the chairman on three occasions (1985-86, 93-94 and 2003 04).
 
In order to be eligible for the accolade, student-athletes must have lettered at least once in their career while maintaining residence at their institution for at least one academic year. The honoree, which can only be recognized once, should have 100 hours of earned credit with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.80 at the time of the nomination.
 
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