North Carolina State University Athletics
Four From Pack Honored When ACC Awards Postgraduate Scholarships
2/23/2006 12:00:00 AM | Pack Athletics
Feb. 23, 2006
GREENSBORO, N.C. - NC State student-athletes Molly Culberson, Stefani Eddins, and Adeola Kosoko were named recipients of postgraduate scholarships and the Wolfpack's Ilian Evtimov earns an honorary award, as announced today by ACC Commissioner John D. Swofford. The Weaver-James-Corrigan and Jim and Pat Thacker scholarships are given to selected student-athletes who intend to pursue a graduate-level degree following graduation. Each recipient will receive $5,000 to use towards his or her graduate education. Student-athletes receiving the award have performed with distinction in both the classroom and in their respective sports, while demonstrating exemplary conduct in the community.
In addition to 36 student-athletes in the ACC receiving scholarship funds, eight student-athletes will receive Weaver-James-Corrigan Honorary Awards. Evtimov and the other seven students will be recognized for their outstanding performance in both athletic competition and the classroom throughout their collegiate careers and intend to compete at the Olympic or professional level.
NC State leads the ACC in postgraduate scholarship winners and has had the maximum number of nominees awarded scholarships every year but one.
Culberson, a senior diver from Charlotte, N.C., is one of the top divers in Wolfpack history. She holds school records in the 1-meter (328.28) and 3-meter (357.60) plus NC State pool records in both the 1-meter and 3-meter dives. Named ACC Performer of the Week earlier this season, Culberson competed in the 2005 NCAA Championships. The Animal Science major led the team in top-5 finishes in each of the past three seasons.
Eddins, a senior middle blocker on the volleyball team was named first-team All-ACC and All-East Region. The Irving, Texas native led the ACC in attack percentage and was third in blocks per game. She ranked in the top 20 nationally for both categories as well. Team co-captain and two-time team MVP, Eddins was named to the all-tournament teams at the Wolfpack Classic, the Magnolia Invitational and was selected the tournament MVP at the Wolfpack Classic. A sports management major, Edddins was voted Academic All-District 3 and was also named Academic All-ACC. She finished career second in the school records for season attack pct. and career attack pct., first and second in season blocks and ninth for career blocks.
Evtimov, a forward/center from Sofia, Bulgaria, is the third leading scorer on the men's basketball team. He ranks 10th among active ACC players in career points scored and has reached double figures in all but five games this season. Currently seventh in school history for career minutes played and 12th in career games played, Evtimov ranks fifth in school history for three-point field goals and seventh for three-point field goal attempts. He graduated last summer with a degree in Communications and is enrolled in graduate courses. Fluent in Bulgarian, French, English and Spanish, Evtimov has lived in four countries: Bulgaria, France, Greece and the U.S.
Kosoko, a senior middle blocker on the volleyball team, played in every game and started every match the last two seasons. A team co-captain, she finished her career seventh in school history for career blocks. Named to the all-tournament teams at the 2005 Wolfpack Classic and Magnolia Invitational, Kosoko ranked seventh in the league for blocks per game last season. Hailing from Glendale, Md., by way of Omaha, Neb., Kosoko was reelected as the NC State Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) President this year. Chosen to represent all Wolfpack student-athletes at 2005 NCAA Leadership Conference, Kosoko is also on the Leadership Board for NC State's Fellowship of Christian Athletes in Action chapter. A Psychology major, Kosoko was selected Academic All-ACC.
The Weaver-James-Corrigan award is named in honor of the late Jim Weaver and Bob James as well as Gene Corrigan, all former ACC commissioners. The league's first commissioner, James H. Weaver, served the conference from 1954 to 1970 after a stint as the Director of Athletics at Wake Forest University. His early leadership and uncompromising integrity are largely responsible for the excellent reputation enjoyed by the ACC today.
Robert C. 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 athletics and academics, winning 23 national championships and maintaining standards of 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 captured 30 NCAA championships and two national football titles.
Prior to 1994, the Weaver-James postgraduate scholarships were given as separate honors. The Jim Weaver award, originated in 1970, recognized exceptional achievement on the playing field and in the classroom, while the Bob James award, established in 1987, also honored outstanding student-athletes.
The Thacker award, which originated in 2005, is awarded in honor of the late Jim and Pat Thacker of Charlotte, N.C. Jim Thacker was the primary play-by-play announcer for the ACC's first television network. Recipients of the award must demonstrate outstanding performance both in athletic competition and in the classroom and intend to further their education through post-graduate studies at an ACC institution.
The 44 student-athletes will be honored April 13, 2006, in Greensboro, N.C., at a luncheon hosted by the Nat Greene Kiwanis Club. The luncheon will be held at the Koury Convention Center. A complete list of the recipients is availabe at www.theacc.com.
