2016 End of the Year Awards Banquet
The Iowa State University Athletic Training Program celebrated another great academic year with our annual golf outing and awards banquet on Sunday, April 24, 2016.
The annual golf outing at Homewood Golf Course saw Alex Harrison & Zach Kuchta repeat as winners with the lowest score honors. Other golf winners were: Matthew Geren with the longest drive, Nick Eller sank the longest putt on the day and Tim Weesner took dead aim and dropped his ball closest to the pin on hole number 9.
Following the afternoon golf event, the celebration turned to academic awards and athletic Letters that were presented in Heartland Hall inside the Jacobson Athletic Building. Lindsey Long and the ISU Letterwinner's Club attended the banquet and welcomed the new class of letterwinners into the club by presenting each new letterwinner with their Varsity jacket. Our outgoing seniors also received their ISU Letterwinner's rings.
Several athletic training scholarships and awards were presented to our most outstanding students in the classroom and in their professional preparation in the clinical settings.
The Athletic Training Program Academic Award is given each year to students who carry a 3.0GPA through the previous spring and fall semesters while maintaining full time student status; this award is also given to any student who makes a GPA improvement of 0.75 from one semester to the next. This year, we had 39 of our 59 students receive this academic honor.
The Robert Watkins and Mary Schwartz Athletic Training Achievement Award was established in 2000 by former athletic training student and loyal supporter of our program, Bill Watkins. The goal of this award is to recognize students in the Athletic Training Program who have contributed a strong work ethic, leadership and service to their future profession. The 2016 Robert Watkins/Mary Schwartz award and $2,500 scholarship winners are:
Meredith Dierks
Tabitha Toland
The Frank Randall Distinguished Athletic Training Student Award was established in honor of former Head Athletic Trainer Frank Randall who served in this position for 29 years. This award is presented to the Iowa State Athletic Training Student who exemplifies dedication, work ethic, accountability and excellence in the field of athletic training. The 2016 Frank Randall Award winners are:
Suzanna Wymore
Nick Eller
The Unsung Hero Award sponsored by Bill Watkins is an award that recognizes a student who demonstrates the qualities to a future professional, but may not be in the spotlight of the program. The 2016 Unsung Hero Award is:
Taylor Young
The inaugural Tom Johnson Memorial Athletic Training Student Scholarship was established by many Iowa State Athletic Training Alumni in memory of Tom. This $1,000 scholarship is presented to the Iowa State Athletic Training Student demonstrates a dedication to athletic training and a passion for helping people. The 2016 Tom Johnson Scholarship winner is:
Christian Novy
The 2016 Graduating Class of Seniors were also recognized and presented with an Iowa State monogrammed professional portfolio as a graduation gift. The class and their future plans are listed below:
Tyler Borchardt - Finishing a teaching degree next Fall at Iowa State to supplement his AT education
Cody Brunclik - Outreach Athletic Trainer at St. Clare's Hospital in Baraboo, WI
Shanice Cheatham - Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer at Oklahoma State University
Kevin Duhrkopf - Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer at University of Tennessee - Chattanooga
Maranda Eichenberger - Attend NIACC to obtain PTA credential
Nick Eller - Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer at University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Matthew Geren - Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer at Minot State University
Caitlyn Glidden - Pursuing graduate school options
Megan Hedges - Attend Physical Therapy School at the University of Nebraska Medical Center
Halie Main - Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer at Washburn University in Topeka, KS
Morgan Mensen - Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer at Central Washington University
Michael Montgomery - Certified Seasonal Intern for the Kansas City Chiefs
Emma Nielsen - Entering the workforce and looking for employment in the Chicago area
Austin Smith - Exploring options
Joanna Sunnes - Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer for the Hughston Foundation in Columbus, Georgia providing outreach AT service to a 6A high school.
Galen Watt - Attend Physical Therapy School at Clarke College in Dubuque, IA
Logan Wood - Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer at Northwest Missouri State University
Suzanna Wymore - Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer at the University of Minnesota - Minneapolis
Taylor Young - Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer at Drake University
Kaitlin Younker - Entering the workforce with target areas of Des Moines and Minneapolis
Josh Zabel - Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer at Drake University
Congratulations to all of our Seniors and 2016 award winners!