MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Seventeen West Virginia University student-athletes will graduate with undergraduate degrees when the University holds its winter commencement ceremony on Friday, Dec. 18, at 1:30 p.m., inside the WVU Coliseum.

 

“Congratulations to our fall 2015 student-athlete graduates,” WVU Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Development Brady Rourke said. “The educational and athletic experience gained during the collegiate journey prepares student-athletes to successfully navigate the professional roadmap ahead. Balancing academic and athletic responsibilities requires focus, discipline and accountability. Graduation proves student-athletes learned these valuable character attributes.

 

“Earning the diploma is an accomplishment Mountaineer student-athletes should be extremely proud of. On behalf of the Office of Student-Athlete Development, we wish you the very best and encourage you to use the graduation as a spring board for your future.”

 

The student-athletes and their families will gather for a luncheon with coaches and athletic department staff late Friday morning prior to commencement. There, they will be presented with their WVU student-athlete stoles.

 

Among the 17 graduates are nine Mountaineer football student-athletes: Darren Arndt (sport management), Cody Clay (computer science), Karl Joseph (multidisciplinary studies), Marquis Lucas (multidisciplinary studies), Tony Matteo (multidisciplinary studies), Nick O’Toole (psychology), Shaq Petteway (multidisciplinary studies), Kyle Rose (criminology) and Dayron Wilson (sociology and anthropology). Joseph is a CBSSports All-America Second Team honoree, while O’Toole was named to three All-Big 12 First Teams and the All-Big 12 Academic Second Team. Additionally, Clay received the Loyalty Permanent Endowment Fund Louis Meisel Award, awarded by the WVU Alumni Association to the top senior on the team with the highest grade point average.

 

Three from the women’s soccer team also will earn degrees Friday: Leah Emaus (exercise physiology), Hannah Steadman (communications studies) and Kailey Utley (biology). Utley was named to the 2015 NSCAA All-Region and All-Big 12 First Teams, as well as the CoSIDA Academic All-America Third Team. Steadman earned All-Big 12 Second Team and NSCAA All-Region Third Team accolades, while Emaus is a three-time Academic All-Big 12 Soccer First Team honoree.

 

Men’s soccer and baseball will see Ryan Cain (multidisciplinary studies) and Justin Fox (athletic coaching education), respectively, graduate Friday. Cain was named to the 2014 All-MAC Second Team, while Fox earned 2015 Academic All-Big 12 Second Team and All-Big 12 Honorable Mention accolades.

 

Also graduating Friday afternoon are volleyball’s Brittany Sample (industrial engineering), rifle’s Ziva Dvorsak (mathematics) and men’s swimming’s Daeton Davenport (multidisciplinary studies). Sample previously earned Academic All-Big 12 honors, while Dvorsak leaves WVU with four All-America awards. Davenport is a three-time Academic All-Big 12 Second Team honoree.