North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State Awarded a Conference High Three Post-Graduate Scholarships
3/2/2000 12:00:00 AM | Pack Athletics
Raleigh, N.C. (March 2) - For the second time in as many years, the Atlantic Coast Conference will award three of NC State's student-athletes with prestigious Weaver-James-Corrigan Post-Graduate Scholarships. The Wolfpack's Meredith Faircloth (cross country), Chan Pons (cross country), and Jason Smith (baseball) will all receive $5,000 to use towards their post graduate education. NC State's conference high three honorees in 2000 now means that the University has garnered 14 post-graduate scholarships in the past four years, the most of any other member institution.
"This is the fourth year in a row that NC State has been awarded the maximum amount of scholarships," said NC State's Director of Academic Support, Phil Moses. "We're the only school in the conference that can make that claim and we're very proud of that fact. All three of this year's awardees continue the tradition of excelling in the classroom, on the playing field and in the community."
NC State's Meredith Faircloth is a member of the Wolfpack's Cross Country and Track squads. She placed third in the 2000 ACC Indoor Track Championships in the 5,000 meters. Faircloth is a former All-American by virtue of her 11th-place showing in the 5,000 meters at the 1996 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Also a member of NC State's Cross County and Track teams, Chan Pons has excelled both on the field and in the classroom. Pons garnered All-American honors for the third time in his career following an 18th place finish at the 1999 NCAA Cross Country Championships. His finish was the highest by a Wolfpack runner since 1987. Throughout the course of his career at NC State, no Wolfpack runner ever placed higher than Pons in any event he participated in.
Jason Smith, a former walk-on, concluded a stellar college baseball career with an outstanding season for the Wolfpack in 1999. With help from a nine-game hitting streak in late March, Smith hit .282 in his senior campaign. An impressive performer for all four seasons at NC State, Smith batted .429 in the Pack's four NCAA Regional games as a freshman.
The Weaver-James-Corrigan Scholarship is named in honor of the late Jim Weaver and Bob James as well as Gene Corrigan. All three gentlemen were previous ACC Commissioners.
Faircloth, Pons and Smith will join the 13 other scholarship honorees on Tuesday, April 11, 2000 for a luncheon in Greensboro.
