MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Recent West Virginia University graduates Will Anti (rifle) and Abigail Rosiello (tennis) are among 20 Big 12 Conference student-athletes who have been selected to receive 2018-19 Dr. Prentice Gautt Postgraduate Scholarships, the conference announced.
 
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 441 since the inception of the league in 1996-97. Starting in 2002-03, additional funding increased scholarship award winners to two per member institutions.
 
A two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District At-Large honoree, Anti graduated in May with a 3.92 grade point average (GPA) in finance and accounting. The 2018-19 team captain also was named to the College Rifle Coaches Association (CRCA) All-Academic Team each season at WVU, as well as the last three Academic All-Big 12 At-Large First Teams. A recipient of the Big 12 Conference's Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award, Anti also was a member of the President's List, the Dean's List, the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll and the WVU Academic Honor Roll.
 
A native of Fort Benning, Georgia, Anti earned five career All-Great America Rifle Conference (GARC) honors. During his Mountaineer career, he helped WVU claim four GARC regular-season titles, four GARC Championship titles, two NCAA National Championships and two NCAA National Championships runner-up finishes.
 
A native of Morgantown, West Virginia, Rosiello was selected to the CoSIDA Women's Academic All-District At-Large Team in 2019, WVU tennis' second selection in as many years. The honor capped a senior season in which she was named to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team for the second consecutive year and honored as one of WVU's 40 Outstanding Seniors.
 
The immunology & medical microbiology major graduated in May with a 4.0 grade point average. The two-time Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Scholar-Athlete was featured on the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll, Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll and the President's List during her four years at WVU.
 
On the court, Rosiello's senior season was the best of her Mountaineer career. Before the 2018-19 season, she had logged 12 career wins in three years. As a senior, Rosiello bagged 27 wins between the fall and spring seasons, the third-best mark on the team, more than doubling her previous total wins. During the spring, she posted a record of 14-5 and tied for the team-lead in doubles wins with 10. Between the fall and spring, she also tied for the team lead with 18 doubles victories and led the Mountaineers with a .600 winning percentage.
 
To date, the Big 12 has provided more than $3.3 million for postgraduate education. The individual grants began at $2,500 in 1996-97, were raised to $5,000 in 1999 and increased to $6,900 for 2004-05. The awards climbed to $7,500 in 2006-07, moved to $9,000 in 2011-12 and are now at $10,000 since 2013-14.

Criteria for the awards includes a cumulative GPA of 3.200 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.
 
2018-19 Dr. Prentice Gautt Postgraduate Scholarship Recipients
 
Baylor: Samantha Howell (equestrian) and Seth Nolan Brown (track & field, cross country)
Iowa State: Riley Behan (soccer) and Sam Harms (football)
Kansas: Grace Hagan (soccer) and Braden Kleinschmidt (track & field)
Kansas State: Ashley Coffman (track & field) and Zach Reuter (football)
Oklahoma: Paige Welch (soccer) and Brian Schibler (gymnastics)
Oklahoma State: Sofia Blanco (tennis) and Cole Verble (track & field)
TCU: Kayla Hill (soccer) and Nathan Guyton (football)
Texas: Shay Petty (track & field) and Kirema Macharia (track & field)
Texas Tech: Gabrielle Puente (soccer) and Travis Bruffy (football)
West Virginia: Abigail Rosiello (tennis) and Will Anti (rifle)