Student-Athletes Celebrate Careers on Commencement Weekend

5/7/2015 4:32:00 PM | Men's Soccer, Women's Soccer, Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Football, Men's Rowing, Cross Country, Field Hockey, Men's Lacrosse, Women's Lacrosse, Women's Rowing, Softball, Tennis, Volleyball, Ice Hockey, Academics

More than 100 student-athletes set to receive their degrees this weekend

More than 100 Syracuse student-athletes will receive their degrees this weekend during commencement festivities at the University. In a year that saw Syracuse programs experience success in the classroom as well as on the field, 'Cuse teams brought home three ACC Championships, made an NCAA Championship game appearance, two programs received a No. 1 ranking and three others ranked in the top-five this year.

Football team captain Sam Rodgers – the Doris Soladay Award recipient at the ninth-annual 'Cuse Awards and a Remembrance Scholar – will be one-of-two students speaking at the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics Convocation.

Rodgers will be joined by 27 of his teammates in earning degrees this weekend.

Two former members of the men's basketball program are also returning. Eric Devendorf and Mookie Jones each returned to school to finish their degree requirements and will be participating in graduation this weekend, joining current student-athletes Trevor Cooney, Michael Gbinije and Carter Sanderson from the men's basketball team in graduating. Cooney and Gbinije will each be returning for their senior year of eligibility next season. Sanderson is relocating to Dallas, Texas to work in media management.

The women's basketball team advanced in the NCAA Tournament for the second-straight season after beating Nebraska in the first round. Diamond Henderson and Maggie Morrison (who returns next year with one more year of eligibility) will each be pursuing graduate degrees beginning in the fall, with Tiara Butler also receiving her diploma this weekend.

The ACC men's and women's lacrosse champions will have a busy weekend as well. In addition to hosting NCAA Tournament openers this weekend, the teams combine for 19 student-athletes receiving their degrees. ACC Offensive Player of the Year and ACC Tournament MVP Kevin Rice is one of the 12 men's lacrosse players to graduate this weekend. Receiving his degree in history, Rice has plans to attend law school. He also has an opportunity in professional ranks with the Rochester Rattlers of the MLL holding his rights.

The 'Cuse all-time leader in draw controls, Kailah Kempney is one-of-seven student-athletes from the women's team to graduate. A Health and Exercise Science major, Kempney will be participating in the David B. Falk graduation ceremony. Teammate Devon Collins is also one of the graduates, she'll be working for JP Morgan Chase after her Syracuse career concludes.

Another sport still in season will be represented well at graduation also this weekend, with the men's and women's tracl programs combining for 20 student-athletes to graduate this weekend. Five different members of the men's program will go on to attend graduate school, including All-American Martin Hehir who will return to Syracuse to complete his eligibility next season. Teammate Reed Kamyszek, who earned the NCAA Elite 89 Award for the highest GPA at an NCAA Championship, will be attending medical school.

Katie Fleischer is one the women's team members to walk in graduation this weekend. Fleischer is pursuing a career in academic support and was selected out of a pool of more than 1,000 candidates to attend the NCAA Career in Sports Forum.

Following its historic season in which the team earned an ACC division title and peaked at the No. 1 rank in the nation, the men's soccer team has three student-athletes graduating this year.

Fresh off a National Championship game appearance, field hockey team captains Kati Nearhouse and Jordan Page will represent the field hockey team at graduation. Nearhouse, a sociology major and Page a health and physical education major led the Orange to the title game for the first time in program history this season.

The ice hockey team played its way to its fourth conference championship game in seven seasons this year and will have five seniors graduating, led by team captains Akane Hosoyamada and Julie Knerr.
With four student-athletes receiving their diploma is the softball team, including Riley Johnson who completed all of her undergraduate course requirements in communication and rhetorical studies three years and plans on attending graduate school.

Another Syracuse student-athlete who will be attending medical school in the fall is Komal Safdar. The female Soladay Award recipient at the ninth-annual 'Cuse Awards, Safdar was the president of the Syracuse SAAC this year. She'll be joined by teammates Breanna Bachini and Amanda Rodgers at graduation.

One week prior to the ACC Championships, eight members of the No. 17 ranked women's rowing team will graduate. Led by All-American Georgia Hamilton who will earn her degree in international relations. Eleven members of the men's rowing team will graduate as well, including Soladay Award nominee Patrick O'Shaughnessy-Hunter.

Volleyball's Stacey Smith will also represent her program at commencement this weekend. The new media management major will graduate from Newhouse.

The more than 100 Syracuse student-athletes have helped leave a lasting legacy on Syracuse, ushering the Orange to a successful start in the ACC, collecting four championships in under two years since joining the league, and producing well-rounded success in the classroom and on the field. Syracuse received its highest rank NACDA Directors' Cup standings this fall and currently rank 48th.