North Carolina State University Athletics
Three NC State Athletes Win Postgraduate Awards
2/29/2000 12:00:00 AM | Pack Athletics
The scholarships are given to selected student-athletes who have intentions of continuing academic work as full-time graduate students. Each recipient will receive $5,000 to use towards their graduate education. Each student-athlete has performed with distinction both in the classroom and in their respective sports, and demonstrated exemplary conduct in the community.
The awards are named in honor of the late Jim Weaver and Bob James as well as Gene Corrigan, past ACC commissioners. The league's first commissioner, James H. Weaver, served the conference from 1954 to 1970 after serving as the director of athletics at Wake Forest University. His early leadership and uncompromising integrity is largely responsible for the excellent reputation enjoyed by the ACC today.
Bob James, a former University of Maryland football player, was named commissioner in 1971 and served for 16 years. During his tenure, the league continued to grow in stature and became recognized as a national leader in academics and athletics, winning 23 national championships while maintaining excellence in the classroom.
Eugene F. Corrigan assumed his role as the third full-time commissioner on September 1, 1987 and served until August of 1997. During Corrigan's tenure ACC schools have captured 30 NCAA national championships and two national football titles. In the fall of 1990, Corrigan engineered the successful addition of the league's newest member, Florida State University.
Prior to 1994, the Weaver-James postgraduate scholarships had been given as separate honors. The Jim Weaver award originated in 1970 to honor exceptional achievement on the playing field and in the classroom, while the Bob James award started in 1987 also to honor outstanding student-athletes.
NC State led the league in selections this year with a total of three, while Clemson, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Virginia and Wake Forest had two student athletes selected apiece. Duke, Florida State and North Carolina each had one representative on the list of honorees. Among the standouts are three-time All-ACC football selection Sims Lenhardt from Duke, three-time All-American cross country performer and four-time All-ACC selection Chan Pons from NC State and All-ACC women's soccer selection Beth Keller from Clemson.
The following is a complete list of the Weaver-James-Corrigan scholars: Clemson - Alison Coday (volleyball); Beth Keller (women's soccer); Duke - Sims Lenhardt (football); Florida State - Kia Asberg (women's tennis); Georgia Tech - Tamarra Jenkin (women's tennis); Carolyn Clevenger (volleyball); Maryland - Beth Murphy (volleyball); Larry Long (baseball); North Carolina - Jennifer Strasburger (swimming & diving); NC State - Meredith Faircloth (cross country/track & field); Chan Pons (cross country/track & field); Jason Smith (baseball); Virginia - Michelle Vizzuso (field hockey); Austin Ramirez (swimming); Wake Forest - Stephan Pro (track); Matt Burdick (football).
The 16 students will be honored Tuesday, April 11, 2000, in Greensboro, N.C. at a luncheon hosted by the Nat Greene Kiwanis.
Meredith Faircloth, NC State University
Cross Country/Track & Field
Raleigh, N.C.
Placed third at the 2000 ACC Indoor Track Championships in the 5,000 meters...Finished 10th at the 1999 ACC Indoor Track Championships in the 10,000 meters and was also 10th at the Outdoor Track Championships in the same event...Top finish of the 1999 season was a third-place showing at the Carolina Classic in the 5,000 meters...Earned All-America honors in 1996 following an 11th-place finish in the 5,000 meter event at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Chan Pons, NC State University
Cross Country/Track & Field
Franklin, N.C.
Named an NCAA All-American for the third time in his career following an 18th-place finish at the 1999 NCAA Championships, the highest finish by a Wolfpack runner since 1987...Captured the 1999 ACC Championship en route to being named All-ACC for the fourth time, one of only three runners to accomplish the feat...Was NC State's highest finisher in every meet in which he competed in his career.
Jason Smith, NC State University
Baseball
Goldsboro, N.C.
Moved into the Wolfpack's starting lineup on March 2, 1999 and batted .282 in 50 games after earning a starting spot ...Had a nine-game hitting streak form March 16-30 last season and batted an impressive .514 during that stretch...As a freshman, he batted .429 in four games of the NCAA South II Regional for NC State...Holds a bachelor of science degree in construction engineering and management, and is working on his master's degree in civil engineering.
