Men’s tennis wins first-ever Dusten Hollist Award, McGinnis, Engebretsen honored
4/22/2019 3:47:00 PM | Football, General, Men's Tennis, Women's Track and Field
It has been another banner year for University of Montana student-athletes with 203 of the over 300 athletes that participate in UM's 15 varsity sports earning a 3.0 GPA or better.
As a group, Montana student-athletes set a new record for the highest overall GPA with a 3.13, and for the 19th-straight semester, the department's overall GPA was above a 3.0.
Grizzly Athletics celebrated the accomplishments of those who dedicate themselves to success in the classroom as much as they do on the court or field of competition Monday at the annual Grizzly Scholar-Athlete Awards Banquet at the DoubleTree Hotel.
Thanks to the generosity of donors, 54 different scholarships were divided between 70 deserving recipients with three major awards recognizing the best of the best amongst UM's student-athlete body.
In a room full of outstanding academic achievers, UM also honored the cream of the crop with the Grizzly Cup awards for top overall academic and athletic performers, the President's awards for best overall GPAs in the department, and something special this year.
What was the Athletic Director's Award for the team with the top overall GPA in the department has been renamed in honor of a person who was a champion of the student-athlete ideal and someone Grizzly Athletics lost too early: former faculty athletic representative Dusten Hollist.
Just before he passed, head men's tennis coach Jason Brown and junior Max Korkh visited Hollist in the hospital as a small token of hope and gratitude for the years he spent advising the team succeed in the classroom.
Fittingly enough, it would be Brown's team that would etch their name on the first-ever Dusten Hollist Team Award with a cumulative team GPA of 3.68 over the spring and fall semesters of 2018.
"Dusten was an incredibly special guy, and everyone knew that, but I feel like he had some special love for the sports that maybe weren't packing Washington-Grizzly Stadium or the Adams Center. I felt like he gave such a nice personal touch to our guys," said Brown.
"I feel like he connected well with the smaller sports teams, and his care shone through. I'm honored we are receiving the first one and hopefully it' the start of many more."
The Hollist Team Award is the culmination of years of academic excellence for men's tennis, who always seemed to be a point or two behind the women's cross-country team, which dominated the category for nearly a decade.
"It means so much because we've been so close in the past. I know how hard all of us work individually on academics. Tennis is why we're here, but academics are a priority, and I know we take it seriously," added Korkh.
"I wanted to leave UM knowing we won that award once. It's really rewarding. It speaks so much about the type of people the guys on our team are. They're not just tennis players. They're smart guys."
Montana student-athletes are performing as high as ever in the classroom, but perhaps no team is breaking as much academic ground as the Grizzly football team.
On the heels of back-to-back semesters of record-breaking overall team GPAs, redshirt-sophomore safety Michael McGinnis was presented the men's President's Award for the top overall GPA in the department for the first time in his career with a perfect 4.0 GPA in Management Information Systems.
Earning the women's President's Award for the second straight time in her storied career was cross country and track distance runner Samantha Engebretsen who also landed a 4.0 in Social Work.
This is the second straight year a Grizzly football player has taken home the President's award, with McGinnis following in the footsteps of Colin Bingham.
The award is also a reflection of the overall success Grizzly football has had in recent years, with the team posting the top two highest GPAs in each of the last two semesters.
"First of all, congratulations to Mike. It's tremendous he's being recognized for all his hard work in the classroom. He follows last year's recipient Colin Bingham, who along with most of the members of our team are working diligently to earn their degrees," said head coach Bobby Hauck.
"These guys are evidence you can excel in the classroom and on the playing field. We anticipate our team continuing to exhibit the academic excellence they've shown the last two years."
On top of two-straight semesters of record-setting GPAs, Montana landed 24 players on the Academic All-Big Sky team this year, a 20 percent increase from the team's previous high.
Complete 2019 Scholarship Recipients
As a group, Montana student-athletes set a new record for the highest overall GPA with a 3.13, and for the 19th-straight semester, the department's overall GPA was above a 3.0.
Grizzly Athletics celebrated the accomplishments of those who dedicate themselves to success in the classroom as much as they do on the court or field of competition Monday at the annual Grizzly Scholar-Athlete Awards Banquet at the DoubleTree Hotel.
Thanks to the generosity of donors, 54 different scholarships were divided between 70 deserving recipients with three major awards recognizing the best of the best amongst UM's student-athlete body.
In a room full of outstanding academic achievers, UM also honored the cream of the crop with the Grizzly Cup awards for top overall academic and athletic performers, the President's awards for best overall GPAs in the department, and something special this year.
What was the Athletic Director's Award for the team with the top overall GPA in the department has been renamed in honor of a person who was a champion of the student-athlete ideal and someone Grizzly Athletics lost too early: former faculty athletic representative Dusten Hollist.
Just before he passed, head men's tennis coach Jason Brown and junior Max Korkh visited Hollist in the hospital as a small token of hope and gratitude for the years he spent advising the team succeed in the classroom.
Fittingly enough, it would be Brown's team that would etch their name on the first-ever Dusten Hollist Team Award with a cumulative team GPA of 3.68 over the spring and fall semesters of 2018.
"Dusten was an incredibly special guy, and everyone knew that, but I feel like he had some special love for the sports that maybe weren't packing Washington-Grizzly Stadium or the Adams Center. I felt like he gave such a nice personal touch to our guys," said Brown.
"I feel like he connected well with the smaller sports teams, and his care shone through. I'm honored we are receiving the first one and hopefully it' the start of many more."
The Hollist Team Award is the culmination of years of academic excellence for men's tennis, who always seemed to be a point or two behind the women's cross-country team, which dominated the category for nearly a decade.
"It means so much because we've been so close in the past. I know how hard all of us work individually on academics. Tennis is why we're here, but academics are a priority, and I know we take it seriously," added Korkh.
"I wanted to leave UM knowing we won that award once. It's really rewarding. It speaks so much about the type of people the guys on our team are. They're not just tennis players. They're smart guys."
Montana student-athletes are performing as high as ever in the classroom, but perhaps no team is breaking as much academic ground as the Grizzly football team.
On the heels of back-to-back semesters of record-breaking overall team GPAs, redshirt-sophomore safety Michael McGinnis was presented the men's President's Award for the top overall GPA in the department for the first time in his career with a perfect 4.0 GPA in Management Information Systems.
Earning the women's President's Award for the second straight time in her storied career was cross country and track distance runner Samantha Engebretsen who also landed a 4.0 in Social Work.
This is the second straight year a Grizzly football player has taken home the President's award, with McGinnis following in the footsteps of Colin Bingham.
The award is also a reflection of the overall success Grizzly football has had in recent years, with the team posting the top two highest GPAs in each of the last two semesters.
"First of all, congratulations to Mike. It's tremendous he's being recognized for all his hard work in the classroom. He follows last year's recipient Colin Bingham, who along with most of the members of our team are working diligently to earn their degrees," said head coach Bobby Hauck.
"These guys are evidence you can excel in the classroom and on the playing field. We anticipate our team continuing to exhibit the academic excellence they've shown the last two years."
On top of two-straight semesters of record-setting GPAs, Montana landed 24 players on the Academic All-Big Sky team this year, a 20 percent increase from the team's previous high.
Complete 2019 Scholarship Recipients
| Col. Thomas M. Alison, USAF (Ret.) Memorial Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Bryson Deming | Football | |||||||||||
| Harriet Anderson Memorial Athletic Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Mariah Harvey | Women's Track & Field | |||||||||||
| Ronald and Julia Blake Memorial Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Kylie Esh | Women's Golf | |||||||||||
| Garrett Graves | Football | |||||||||||
| Darby Henthorn | Women's Track & Field | |||||||||||
| Carla Nicosia | Women's Track & Field | |||||||||||
| Matt Rensvold | Football | |||||||||||
| Bill and Phyllis Bouchee Family Football Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Jace Lewis | Football | |||||||||||
| Erika Camp Memorial Athletic Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Sammy Fatkin | Women's Basketball | |||||||||||
| Melinda and Herb Depp Athletic Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Michaela Hood | Softball | |||||||||||
| Carrie Jacka | Women's Track & Field | |||||||||||
| Rita Lang | Soccer | |||||||||||
| Cami Sellers | Softball | |||||||||||
| Lawrence A. (Bugs) Dwyer Memorial Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Abigail Dodge | Women's Track & Field | |||||||||||
| Ekegren Education Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Madi Schoening | Women's Basketball | |||||||||||
| David and Goldie Enger Athletic Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Morgan Johnson | Softball | |||||||||||
| Dean Erhard Athletic Award in Cross Country and Track | ||||||||||||
| Carly Smiedala | Women's Track & Field | |||||||||||
| Mike & Cathie Frellick Lady Griz Basketball Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Carmen Gfeller | Women's Basketball | |||||||||||
| Julie Deming Memorial Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Emma Stockholm | Women's Basketball | |||||||||||
| Mike & Cathie Frellick Softball Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Kylie Hayton | Softball | |||||||||||
| GSA License Plate Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Tristin Achenbach | Softball | |||||||||||
| Michael McGinnis | Football | |||||||||||
| Janet and Michelle Hainline Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Emily Pittis | Women's Track & Field | |||||||||||
| Harrington Family Athletic Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Finn Anderson | Men's Tennis | |||||||||||
| Anne and Warren Hill Athletic Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Bianca Bostrom | Women's Tennis | |||||||||||
| Carol Huggins Lady Griz Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Sophia Stiles | Women's Basketball | |||||||||||
| Sylvia Jensen Athletic Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Raye Burton | Soccer | |||||||||||
| John Kolendich Memorial Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Colin Bingham | Football | |||||||||||
| Ernest L. & Ruth A. Kradolfer Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Mariah Harvey | Women's Track & Field | |||||||||||
| Douglas LeBrun Track and Field Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Chloe Seferos | Women's Track & Field | |||||||||||
| Katherine Markette-John Schuler Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Gabi Harrington | Women's Basketball | |||||||||||
| Markovich Family Athletic Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Lidia Dukic | Women's Tennis | |||||||||||
| Maddy Stensby | Softball | |||||||||||
| Colleen Marks Athletic Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Mitch Roberts | Football | |||||||||||
| The Chawky & Helen Miller Memorial Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Eddy Egun | Men's Basketball | |||||||||||
| Moose Miller Football Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Dalton Sneed | Football | |||||||||||
| Lefty Monson Family Men's Basketball Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Kendal Manuel | Men's Basketball | |||||||||||
| Bob & Adeline O'Conner Memorial Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Anne Mari Petrino | Softball | |||||||||||
| Erik Ogren Memorial Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Caitlin Rogers | Soccer | |||||||||||
| John L. Olson Family Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Dallas Hart | Football | |||||||||||
| Mike and Sandy Persha Athletic Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Samantha Engebretsen | Women's Track & Field | |||||||||||
| Jim Powell Memorial Scholarship-Men's Basketball | ||||||||||||
| Mack Anderson | Men's Basketball | |||||||||||
| Dr. Reynolds Lady Griz Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| McKenzie Johnston | Women's Basketball | |||||||||||
| William (Robi) Robertson Memorial Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Dante Olson | Football | |||||||||||
| Bill Ruegamer Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Teigan Avery | Golf | |||||||||||
| Robin Selvig Lady Griz Basketball Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Kylie Frohlich | Women's Basketball | |||||||||||
| Brian and Karen Sippy Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Janna Grimsrud | Volleyball | |||||||||||
| Ken Staninger Memorial Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Marcus Welnel | Football | |||||||||||
| B. Tim Stark Memorial Track & Field Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Jane Booth | Women's Track & Field | |||||||||||
| Larry and Kristin Stayner Family Athletic Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Gabe Sulser | Football | |||||||||||
| Stockman Bank Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Jesse Sims | Football | |||||||||||
| Max and Betty Swanson Memorial Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Alexis Urbach | Volleyball | |||||||||||
| Kole Swartz Legacy Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Jackson Pepe | Football | |||||||||||
| John Van Heuvelen Memorial Athletic Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Alexa Coyle | Soccer | |||||||||||
| Clark Wilson Memorial Scholarship | ||||||||||||
| Claire Howard | Soccer | |||||||||||
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
TE
/ Football
Jumps
/ Women's Track and Field
TE
/ Football
Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
QB
/ Football
OL
/ Football
Throws
/ Women's Track and Field
Throws
/ Women's Track and Field
Jumps
/ Women's Track and Field
/ Men's Tennis
LB
/ Football
S
/ Football
Jumps
/ Women's Track and Field
LB
/ Football
S
/ Football
Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
TE
/ Football
WR
/ Football
Jumps
/ Women's Track and Field
DE
/ Football
Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
QB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
LB
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