Watkins earns UM’s prestigious Presidential Leadership Scholarship
6/28/2019 5:22:00 PM | Men's Tennis
The Big Sky Conference announced its list of spring Academic All-Conference performers this week, and as usual, the Montana Men's tennis team was well represented with six players earning a place on the list, tied for the most of any team in the league.
Outgoing senior Alex Canellopoulos, juniors Ludvig Hallgren and Max Korkh, and freshmen Pontus Hallgren, Ed Pudney, and Oisin Shaffrey each earned at least a 3.2 GPA in the spring semester – right in the middle of the tennis season, mind you - to earn academic all-conference honors.
The haul caps one of the best academic years in program history for head coach Jason Brown's squad after his charges took home the first-ever Dusten Hollist Award for the best team grade point average in Grizzly Athletics in April with an eye-catching 3.68 cumulative GPA over the spring and fall semesters of 2018.
Not only did the Grizzlies excel in the classroom, they excelled on the court as well, with UM qualifying for the Big Sky championship tournament in Phoenix for a 29th-straight year, despite having a young squad built with six freshmen.
Success in the classroom and success on the court have become hallmarks of Brown's Grizzlies; a trait carried on from the years under Kris Nord's tutelage.
That doesn't appear to be changing any time soon either, with Josh Watkins, one the teams' two incoming freshmen in the class of 2019, earning the University of Montana's prestigious Presidential Leadership Scholarship, UM announced recently.
Watkins, a native of Whitefish who moved to Orange County, California, to pursue tennis in at Newport Harbor High and the Advantage Tennis Academy, is one of just 32 incoming students at UM to receive the award.
UM's Presidential Leadership Scholars are chosen based on leadership, service, and academic merit, and their scholarships are renewable for a total of four years. This year's incoming PLS cohort had an average GPA of 3.92 and an average ACT score of 31.
"We've created a culture and a tradition that demands excellence in both tennis and academics, said Brown. "I think Josh will be an excellent fit in our program and I can't wait to get him on campus and start working with him."
In addition to playing tennis for the Grizzlies, Watkins will also join the Davidson Honors College as he works toward undergraduate degrees in history or political science with an eye toward medical school in the future.
"Playing Division-I college athletics has been a goal of mine since I was a little kid," Watkins said in a recent UM press release. "I am so excited and fortunate to have the opportunity to accomplish that goal."
Watkins said after visiting UM and meeting the tennis team, he was struck by the atmosphere on campus and was impressed by the opportunity of academic diversity at UM - an opportunity that has societal benefits by way of combating ignorance, he said in the release.
"I would love for all kids to have education opportunities," Watkins said. "Not just learning how to read, write, and do math, but how to think; the ability to think deeply, analyze yourself as well as the world around you and grow intellectually. I think that this would eliminate ignorance, and, in my opinion, ignorance is the leading cause of conflict in the world."
Watkins also gave a tip of the hat to his parents, Mark and Jennifer in guiding him in academics and tennis, with his dad Mark playing Division-I tennis at BYU.
"They have always pushed me to be the best I could possibly be; not just settling for good but striving for great," Watkins said. "They have helped with school, tennis, and my personal development, and I would not be the person I am today without them. I would also like to thank Coach Brown for the amazing tennis opportunity."
Watkins and fellow incoming freshman Cameron Isbell will report to UM in late August at the beginning of the fall semester at UM.
###
Q&A with Watkins from the Davidson Honors College
Major: I'm currently leaning toward History or Political Science.
What led you to choose UM? The college made it onto my radar when I was recruited by Jason Brown to play tennis at the University. After I visited the campus, met with the coach and my future teammates, and got a feel for the atmosphere on campus, I realized it was the perfect fit and decided to sign an NLI in November.
What led you to choose that major? I know I want to pursue medicine as a career, but I have not yet decided on what I want my major to be. I want to try to experience as much academic diversity as possible and see other options before making a final decision.
What do you imagine yourself doing at age 25? I see myself attending medical school at a prestigious university like Stanford or USC. I want to have played four years of college tennis, traveled, and made the most out of my undergraduate college experience before I attend medical school.
If you could change anything in the world, what would it be and why? I would love for all kids to have education opportunities. Not just learning how to read, write, and do math, but how to think. The ability to think deeply, analyze yourself as well as the world around you, and grow intellectually. I think that this would eliminate ignorance, and, in my opinion, ignorance is the leading cause of conflict in the world.
Is there anyone who played a special role in your journey so far who'd you like to thank? I would really like to thank my parents. They have always pushed me to be the best I could possibly be; not just settling for good but striving for great. They have helped with school, tennis, and my personal development, and I would not be the person I am today without them. I would also like to thank Coach Brown for the amazing tennis opportunity. Division 1 college athletics has been a goal of mine since I was a little kid, and I am so excited and fortunate to have the opportunity to accomplish that goal.
Outgoing senior Alex Canellopoulos, juniors Ludvig Hallgren and Max Korkh, and freshmen Pontus Hallgren, Ed Pudney, and Oisin Shaffrey each earned at least a 3.2 GPA in the spring semester – right in the middle of the tennis season, mind you - to earn academic all-conference honors.
The haul caps one of the best academic years in program history for head coach Jason Brown's squad after his charges took home the first-ever Dusten Hollist Award for the best team grade point average in Grizzly Athletics in April with an eye-catching 3.68 cumulative GPA over the spring and fall semesters of 2018.
Not only did the Grizzlies excel in the classroom, they excelled on the court as well, with UM qualifying for the Big Sky championship tournament in Phoenix for a 29th-straight year, despite having a young squad built with six freshmen.
Success in the classroom and success on the court have become hallmarks of Brown's Grizzlies; a trait carried on from the years under Kris Nord's tutelage.
That doesn't appear to be changing any time soon either, with Josh Watkins, one the teams' two incoming freshmen in the class of 2019, earning the University of Montana's prestigious Presidential Leadership Scholarship, UM announced recently.
Watkins, a native of Whitefish who moved to Orange County, California, to pursue tennis in at Newport Harbor High and the Advantage Tennis Academy, is one of just 32 incoming students at UM to receive the award.
UM's Presidential Leadership Scholars are chosen based on leadership, service, and academic merit, and their scholarships are renewable for a total of four years. This year's incoming PLS cohort had an average GPA of 3.92 and an average ACT score of 31.
"We've created a culture and a tradition that demands excellence in both tennis and academics, said Brown. "I think Josh will be an excellent fit in our program and I can't wait to get him on campus and start working with him."
In addition to playing tennis for the Grizzlies, Watkins will also join the Davidson Honors College as he works toward undergraduate degrees in history or political science with an eye toward medical school in the future.
"Playing Division-I college athletics has been a goal of mine since I was a little kid," Watkins said in a recent UM press release. "I am so excited and fortunate to have the opportunity to accomplish that goal."
Watkins said after visiting UM and meeting the tennis team, he was struck by the atmosphere on campus and was impressed by the opportunity of academic diversity at UM - an opportunity that has societal benefits by way of combating ignorance, he said in the release.
"I would love for all kids to have education opportunities," Watkins said. "Not just learning how to read, write, and do math, but how to think; the ability to think deeply, analyze yourself as well as the world around you and grow intellectually. I think that this would eliminate ignorance, and, in my opinion, ignorance is the leading cause of conflict in the world."
Watkins also gave a tip of the hat to his parents, Mark and Jennifer in guiding him in academics and tennis, with his dad Mark playing Division-I tennis at BYU.
"They have always pushed me to be the best I could possibly be; not just settling for good but striving for great," Watkins said. "They have helped with school, tennis, and my personal development, and I would not be the person I am today without them. I would also like to thank Coach Brown for the amazing tennis opportunity."
Watkins and fellow incoming freshman Cameron Isbell will report to UM in late August at the beginning of the fall semester at UM.
###
Q&A with Watkins from the Davidson Honors College
Major: I'm currently leaning toward History or Political Science.
What led you to choose UM? The college made it onto my radar when I was recruited by Jason Brown to play tennis at the University. After I visited the campus, met with the coach and my future teammates, and got a feel for the atmosphere on campus, I realized it was the perfect fit and decided to sign an NLI in November.
What led you to choose that major? I know I want to pursue medicine as a career, but I have not yet decided on what I want my major to be. I want to try to experience as much academic diversity as possible and see other options before making a final decision.
What do you imagine yourself doing at age 25? I see myself attending medical school at a prestigious university like Stanford or USC. I want to have played four years of college tennis, traveled, and made the most out of my undergraduate college experience before I attend medical school.
If you could change anything in the world, what would it be and why? I would love for all kids to have education opportunities. Not just learning how to read, write, and do math, but how to think. The ability to think deeply, analyze yourself as well as the world around you, and grow intellectually. I think that this would eliminate ignorance, and, in my opinion, ignorance is the leading cause of conflict in the world.
Is there anyone who played a special role in your journey so far who'd you like to thank? I would really like to thank my parents. They have always pushed me to be the best I could possibly be; not just settling for good but striving for great. They have helped with school, tennis, and my personal development, and I would not be the person I am today without them. I would also like to thank Coach Brown for the amazing tennis opportunity. Division 1 college athletics has been a goal of mine since I was a little kid, and I am so excited and fortunate to have the opportunity to accomplish that goal.
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