Fifty NSU student-athletes, coaches among more than 900 summer, fall graduates

NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State’s 2019 fall commencement exercises featured a nice, round number of Demon and Lady Demon student-athletes.

Fifty NSU competitors were among the 943 who had degrees conferred upon them during a pair of Friday ceremonies at Prather Coliseum. The twin events folded in summer graduates along with those who completed degree requirements in the fall.

Channing Burleson, a two-time All-Southland Conference volleyball selection and 2017 conference Libero of the Year, and 2018 Southland Conference Baseball Newcomer of the Year Jerry Maddox led the student-athlete contingent who picked up their degrees Friday.

Burleson ended her career with the second-most digs in school history (1,879) and three of the top seven seasons in total digs in school history. In addition to her first-team All-Southland Conference pick in 2017, Burleson was a two-time second-team All-Louisiana selection by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.

Maddox was named Southland Conference and Louisiana Baseball Newcomer of the Year in 2018, helping lead the Demons to the first Southland Conference Tournament championship in school history. Maddox went 8-3 with a 1.88 ERA and was the winning pitcher in the Demons’ 9-0 NCAA Corvallis Regional victory against San Diego State. Maddox was joined by regional teammates Sam Taylor, Austin Townsend, Luke Watson, Austin Stegall, Austin Reich, David Hodo and Evan Daigle as Friday graduates. Daigle has two years of eligibility remaining after graduating in three-and-a-half years.

Among other accomplished student-athletes who received their degrees Friday were soccer standout Jayden Wheeler, a four-year starter who was a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District selection and helped lead the Lady Demons to the 2019 Southland Conference Tournament championship match, and sprinter Eddie Clarke, who was part of a 4×100 relay team that posted the fourth-fastest time in school history (39.42) and just missed out on an NCAA Championships berth.

Wheeler graduated summa cum laude, a distinction that honors those who graduate with a grade point average between 3.9 and 4.0. Hodo was a magna cum laude graduate, honoring those who finish their academic careers with a GPA between 3.7. and 3.89.

Graduating with cum laude distinction – a GPA between 3.5 and 3.69 – were Burleson, Daigle and Townsend.

Summer 2019 Athletic Graduation List (Participating in Fall 2019 commencement) (9)

Baseball (3)

1. Jerry Maddox: Bachelor of Arts; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: Communication; Concentration: Strategic Communication; Minor: Industrial Engineering Technology; Honors: Honor Roll
2. Austin Townsend (former student-athlete): Bachelor of Science; College:  Business and Technology; Major: Business Administration; Honors: Cum Laude
3. Luke Watson (former student-athlete): Bachelor of Science; College:  Business and Technology; Major: Business Administration

Men’s Basketball (1)

1. DeAndre Love: Bachelor of Arts; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: Communication; Concentration: Strategic Communication; Minor: Social Science

Football (3)

1. Deshon Ficklin (former student-athlete): Bachelor of Science; College:  Business and Technology; Major: Business Administration
2. Kenneth (Kenny) Sears (former student-athlete):  Bachelor of Science; College:  Business and Technology; Major: Business Administration; Honors: Honor Roll
3. Jaylen Watson: Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Psychology

Men’s Track (1)

1. Travis Allen: Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Majors: Psychology and Addiction Studies

Women’s Track (1)

1. Caitlyn McCauslin (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Science in Nursing; College: Nursing & School of Allied Health; Major: Nursing; Honors: Honor Roll

Fall 2019 Athletic Graduation List (41)

Baseball (5)

1. Evan Daigle: Bachelor of Science; College: Business and Technology; Major: Business Administration; Honors:  Cum Laude
2. David Hodo: Bachelor of Science; College: Business and Technology; Major: Business Administration; Honors: Magna Cum Laude
3. Austin Reich (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Science; College: Business and Technology; Major: Industrial Engineering Technology
4. Robert (Austin) Stegall (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: Social Science
5. William (Sam) Taylor (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Exercise Science; Honors: Honor Roll

Men’s Basketball (2)

1. Brandon Hutton (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Arts; College:  Arts and Sciences; Major: Communication; Concentration: Broadcast & Digital Media Production; Minor: P.E., Sport and Leisure Management; Honors: Honor Roll
2. Norman Meadors (Former JV Student-Athlete): Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: Social Science

Women’s Basketball (1)

1.    Nautica Grant (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Psychology

Football (13)

1. Brandon Eberts (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Science in Nursing; College:  Nursing & School of Allied Health; Major: Nursing; Honors: Honor Roll
2. Nicholas (Nick) Forde: Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Exercise Science; Honors: Honor Roll
3. Dezinarell Gray (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: Social Science
4. Cameron Hooper (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Science; College: Business and Technology; Major: Business Administration; Honors: Honor Roll
5. Jonathan Hubbard: Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: Social Science
6. Ronald Malbrough: Bachelor of Science; College:  Business and Technology; Major: Electronics Engineering Technology; Concentration: Electronics
7. Tyler O’Donoghue: Bachelor of Science; College: Business and Technology; Major: Business Administration
8. Tyler Rapp: Bachelor of Science; College: Business and Technology; Major: Business Administration; Honors: Honor Roll
9. Kevin Ratliff: Bachelor of Arts; College:  Arts and Sciences; Major: Communication; Concentration: Broadcast & Digital Media Production; Minor: P.E., Sport and Leisure Management
10. Darian Raymond (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Exercise Science; Concentration: Pre-Physical Therapy; Honors: Honor Roll
11. Khalil Sumlin: Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Psychology; Honors: Honor Roll
12. Quindarrius Whitley: Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Psychology
13. Dylan Wilson: Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: Social Science

Soccer (1)

1. Jayden Wheeler: Bachelor of Science; College:  Education & Human Development; Major: Elementary Education Grades 1-5; Honors: Summa Cum Laude

Softball (1)

1. Kaylee Isenburg Kaufman (Former Student-Athlete):  Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: Social Science; Honors: Honor Roll

Men’s Track (4)

1. Edward (Eddie) Clarke (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: Social Science
2. DeJohn Garrison (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Exercise Science
3. Keidrick Haynes (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Science; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: Biology; Concentration: Biomedical
4. Deylon Key (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Exercise Science

Women’s Track (2)

1.    Makayla Jackson: Bachelor of Arts; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: Criminal Justice; Honors: Honor Roll

2.    Sydney Stewart (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Science; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: Biology; Concentration: Veterinary Technology

Volleyball (1)

1. Channing Burleson (Former Student-Athlete): Bachelor of Science in Nursing; College:  Nursing & School of Allied Health; Major: Nursing; Minor: Psychology; Honors: Cum Laude

Administration (11)

1.    Matthew (Matt) Alford (Former Student-athlete, Baseball GA, Strength and Conditioning GA): Master of Science; College:  Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Human Performance; Concentration: Sport Administration

2.    Quarry Edwards (Former Student Manager/Football): Bachelor of Science; College:  Business and Technology; Major: Accounting

3.    Matthew (Matt) Giering (Football Game Operations (Video Board)): Bachelor of Arts; College:  Arts and Sciences; Major: Communication; Concentration: Broadcast & Digital Media Production; Minor: Business Administration

4.    Devonte Grayson (Sports Information Student Worker): Bachelor of Arts; College:  Arts and Sciences; Major: Communication; Concentration: Broadcast & Digital Media Production; Minor: P.E., Sport and Leisure Management

5.    Calli Jordan Hensch (Asst. Coach): Master of Science; College:  Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Human Performance; Concentration: Sport Administration

6.    Hannah Knopp (Former GA/Sports Medicine): Master of Science; College:  Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Human Performance; Concentration: Sport Administration

7.    Wesley Miller (Former Track and Field Asst.): Master of Science; College:  Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Human Performance; Concentration: Sport Administration

8.    Eboni Palmer (Former Student Trainer/Sports Medicine): Bachelor of General Studies; College: Arts and Sciences; Major: General Studies; Concentration: Social Science; Minor: P.E., Sport and Leisure Management

9.    Chase Thompson (Football GA): Master of Science; College:  Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Human Performance; Concentration: Sport Administration

10.Jack Witte (Football GA): Master of Science; College:  Education & Human Development; Major: Health and Human Performance; Concentration: Sport Administration

11.Ashtin Youngblood (Student Manager/Volleyball): Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Major: Psychology; Minor: Addiction Studies; Honors: Honor Roll

Bonus:

1. Toni Drury (wife of Head Athletic Trainer Jason Drury): Bachelor of Science; College: Education & Human Development; Majors: Addiction Studies and Psychology; Honors: Honor Roll