University of Minnesota student-athletes were awarded 83 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Awards for the 2016-17 season, the conference announced in early July. In all, 21 Gophers teams were represented.
The 83 Minnesota honorees is the second most ever from the Gophers (86 in 2011-2012). Student-athletes must have recorded a minimum grade-point average (GPA) of 3.7 or higher for the previous academic year in order to be eligible for the Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Award.
Included in Minnesota’s honorees were 14 Gophers who boasted a perfect 4.0 GPA: Derek Wiebke (Men’s Cross Country/Track and Field), Emily Betz (Women’s Cross Country/Track and Field), Patty O’Brien(Women’s Cross Country/Track and Field), Payton Jordahl (Football), Sabrine Garrison (Women’s Golf), Bailey Abernathy (Women’s Gymnastics), Bailie Hoist (Women’s Gymnastics), Sydney Baldwin (Women’s Ice Hockey), Nicole Schammel (Women’s Ice Hockey), Emily Stock (Rowing), Jakub Maly (Men’s Swimming and Diving), Mariam Khamis (Women’s Swimming and Diving), Brett Pfarr (Wrestling) and Chris Pfarr(Wrestling). The 14 perfect 4.0 student-athletes is the most by the Gophers since the award began in 2008, breaking the previous mark of nine set in 2013-2014 and 2014-2015.
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