North Carolina State University Athletics
Four Named ACC Postgraduate Scholarship Recipients
2/19/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Four NC State student-athletes are among the forty Atlantic Coast Conference scholar-athletes that have been named recipients of postgraduate scholarships, as announced by Commissioner John D. Swofford. John Crews, Chris Kollar, Steven Hauschka and Luke Lathan were all recognized as Wolfpack recipients of the awards.
"This is a tremendous honor for NC State and speaks highly of the quality of our student athletes," said Phil Moses, the director of the academic support program for student-athletes. "We have shared these statistics with alumni, fans and across campus and it brings a great sense of pride for everyone."
Since 1997, NC State has now won 33 ACC postgraduate scholarships out of 36 nominations.
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.
Lathan and Kollar will both receive the Weaver-James-Corrigan award. The 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, which 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.
Hauschka will receive the Weaver-James-Corrigan Honorary Award and is recognized for his outstanding performance in both athletic competition and the classroom throughout his collegiate career and intend to compete at the Olympic or professional level.
Crews will receive the Thacker award, which originated in 2005, and 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 student-athletes will be honored April 16, 2008, in Greensboro, N.C., at a luncheon hosted by the Nat Greene Kiwanis Club. The luncheon will be held at the Koury Convention Center.
Weaver-James-Corrigan Award Recipients: Chris Kollar (cross country), Luke Lathan (football)
Jim and Pat Thacker Award Recipient: John Crews (cross country)
Weaver-James-Corrigan Honorary Award Recipients: Steven Hauschka (football).
John Crews, Men’s Cross Country, NC State
A first-year graduate student in NC State’s mechanical engineering program...Selected four times as an NC State scholar athlete, and four times to the ACC Academic Honor Roll...Was named an Academic All-America in cross country in 2005, 2006 and 2007, and chosen for the CoSIDA Academic All-America track and field team in 2006 and 2007...A 2007 All-ACC Academic team honoree.
Chris Kollar, Men’s Cross Country, NC State
Majoring in biological sciences...Chosen to the ACC Academic Honor Roll four times...Named an NC State Scholar Athlete in 2005-07...Selected as a 2005 Academic All-American in cross country...Named to 2007 All-ACC Academic team...A 2007 Academic All-American in cross country...Earned the 2007 ACC Men’s Cross Country individual championship with an 8K time of 24:02.1.
Luke Lathan, Football, NC State
A December 2007 graduate of NC State...Majored in agricultural management with a concentration in biological sciences...Was named to the Dean’s List for three semesters...Started all 12 games at center for the Wolfpack in 2007, participating in a team-high 872 snaps...Allowed just two sacks as a senior...Played in 28 career games, with 20 career starts.
Steven Hauschka, Football, NC State
A master’s student in sports management during the fall semester of 2007...Intends to enroll in dental school in the fall of 2008...Led the ACC in field-goal percentage in 2007 after making 16 of 18 attempts...Was ninth in scoring among ACC kickers and was tied for first in point-after-touchdown percentage (25-of-25)...Named the ACC Specialist of the Week after hitting four field goals in an NC State win over Miami...A semifinalist for the Lou Groza Placekicker Award.
