HottyToddy.com’s Daily Ole Miss Sports Roundup

HottyToddy.com is giving readers a roundup of all the commentary and information about the Ole Miss Rebels from various publications around the Web.

Readers will be able to check out the latest information in a single post every day throughout the year. Here at HottyToddy.com, we are doing all the leg work to find the information that people may want to hear about Ole Miss sports.

Today’s roundup features Ole Miss Sports.

Ole Miss Student-Athletes Achieve Record Success in Classroom

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With a few sports still competing, it has already been a record year on the fields and courts for Ole Miss, and the success carried over to the classroom, where Rebel student-athletes posted the highest cumulative grade point average in school history with a 3.0 for the year.

The Rebels had the largest percentage (52 percent) of student-athletes to earn a 3.00 grade point average or better in recorded history, while 88 had a 3.50 or better, 53 posted a 3.75 or better and 28 boasted a perfect 4.00 GPA. Sixty student-athletes earned their degrees this year.

“Our student athletes have made a tremendous effort to make education a priority,” said senior associate athletics director for student-athlete development Derek Cowherd. “By investing in their own futures and with the support of our tireless staff, they have achieved the first 3.0 cumulative GPA in Ole Miss recorded history. We thank the leadership of Ross Bjork, Lynnette Johnson, and Dr. Morris Stocks, who see the direct correlation between academics and success on the field. We all hope to sustain this kind of academic success for years to come.”

With many academic awards still on the table for spring sports, it’s already been a banner year for the Rebels. Four student-athletes have earned CoSIDA Academic All-America honors so far and 80 were named to the SEC Academic Fall and Winter Honor Rolls. Forrest Gamble of men’s golf was named the SEC Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete of the Year and soccer’s Jennifer Miller was a finalist. Eleven student-athletes were named to Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges, while Brady Bramlett was selected to the Ole Miss Hall of Fame. Ten teams scored above the national average in graduation success rate and nine posted APR scores above the national average with women’s tennis and volleyball achieving perfect scores.

For the sixth straight semester, women’s soccer led all teams with a 3.68 GPA. Twenty of 21 on the active roster earned a 3.00 GPA or higher and 13 made the Chancellor’s Honor Roll. Nine team members boasted a perfect 4.0 GPA, including recent graduates Melissa Capocaccia, Jessica Hiskey and Miller. The Rebels enjoyed a historic season on the pitch, earning their highest final ranking (No. 16) in program history in addition to advancing to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the first time in school history.

Men’s golf posted a 3.60, the highest GPA of all men’s teams in recorded history. All eight team members earned a 3.00 or better, including Gamble. One of three graduates from men’s golf, Gamble has been accepted to over four medical schools in the United States.

While earning their eighth straight NCAA appearance, women’s tennis posted the third-highest GPA among all teams with a 3.51. The Rebels had nine of 10 members make the honor roll and five on the Chancellor’s Honor Roll, including sophomore All-SEC honoree Arianne Hartono with a 4.00 GPA.

Softball’s historic season came to an end in the NCAA Regional final, but the Rebels’ success wasn’t limited to the field. The squad posted a 3.14 GPA and 14 players made the honor roll. Five earned Chancellor’s Honor Roll distinction including Alyssa Invergo and Dakota Matiko with a 4.00 GPA.

While baseball is in Hoover, Alabama for the SEC Tournament, the team finished the academic year with a cumulative GPA of 3.05. Fifteen players made the honor roll including Bramlett earning the distinction for all eight semesters of his career.

A school-record 33 track and field student-athletes were accepted to the NCAA East Preliminary Round, but the success doesn’t stop on the track. Women’s track earned its highest overall team GPA (3.07) since 2010 and had 29 on the honor roll, including SEC Champion (Shot Put) and winner of the SEC Commissioner’s Trophy, Raven Saunders. The men were led by SEC 1500m Champion Craig Engels, one of 13 on the honor roll.

Eight of 10 members on the women’s golf team made the honor roll. Five made the Chancellor’s Honor Roll including recent graduates Allison Hovatter and Abby Newton (Women’s Golf SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year) with 4.0s. Katie Voll, who also graduated, has been accepted into the UM Graduate School to continue her research on water resources in the United States.

In addition to helping lead men’s tennis to its 23rd-straight NCAA appearance, four members of the team made the honor roll, including sophomore Zvonimir Babic with his third 4.0 semester GPA, and All-SEC first team honoree Gustav Hansson.

Football capped an outstanding 2015 season in January with a Sugar Bowl Championship and ended this year posting its highest GPA in recorded history. Thirty-eight players earned a 3.00 GPA or better, including Quintavius Burdette, who accepted a full-time position with the world-renowned accountancy firm KPMG.

Volleyball posted its second straight GPA of at least a 3.2 and placed nine on the honor roll, including Caroline Adams and Aubrey Edie with 4.0s.

Women’s basketball posted its highest team GPA since spring 2011, while five players made the honor roll, including Erika Sisk earning Chancellor’s Honor Roll distinction for the first time in her career. Shequila Joseph made the Dean’s Honor Roll for the third straight semester.

Seven of eight on the active Rifle roster earned a 3.00 GPA or better with NCAA Bronze Medalist Alison Weisz making the Dean’s List.

Men’s basketball’s Terry Brutus, a recent graduate, made the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll for the sixth time in eight semesters.

For academic accomplishments and news surrounding Ole Miss student-athletes, follow them on Twitter, @UMTrueRebel.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports

Two Ole Miss Women’s Tennis Players Ready for NCAA Individual Championships

Photo by Joshua McCoy/Ole Miss Athletics.

Sophomore Arianne Hartono and senior Mai El Kamash of the Ole Miss women’s tennis team will begin competing in the NCAA Individual Championships Wednesday in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Hartono will make her debut in the singles Wednesday at 2 p.m. against North Carolina State’s Martina Frantova, ranked No. 45 in singles.

In doubles, Hartono and El Kamash will face fourth-seeded Maegan Manasse and Denise Star of California Thursday. The times for the doubles will be announced late Wednesday.

All matches will be played at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center and feature live scoring and live video.

Notables…
• This marks the first NCAA singles appearance for sophomore Arianne Hartono and the first doubles appearance for Hartono and Mai El Kamash.
• Hartono comes in ranked No. 33 in the nation in singles with a 20-13 record. She earned All-SEC second team honors.
• This is the second year for Hartono and El Kamash, ranked No. 25, to play doubles together. They are 28-20 overall as a duo.

What’s at stake?…
Besides the obvious quest of winning a national championship players can earn All-America honors by advancing to the round of 16 in singles or the quarterfinals in doubles.

Quoting head coach Mark Beyers…
“It’s exciting for Arianne and Mai to get to finish up the year at the NCAA Individual Championships. To be in this prestigious field is a testament to the great year they had.”

For more information on Ole Miss Men’s Tennis, follow the Rebels on Twitter @OleMissWTennis, on Facebook at OleMissWTennis and on Instagram at OleMissWTennis, follow Coach Beyers on Twitter at @MarkBeyers.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports

Ole Miss Signee Named National JUCO Field Athlete of the Year

Ole Miss Track and Field Head Coach Connie Price-Smith
Photo by Joshua McCoy/Ole Miss Athletics.

Ole Miss track & field signee Janeah Stewart was named the NJCAA National Women’s Field Athlete of the Year on Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Stewart, a sophomore at Iowa Central Community College, won the national NJCAA titles in the discus throw at 50.79m/166-8 and the hammer throw at 58.95m/193-5, and finished runner-up in the shot put at 15.78m/51-9.25.

During the regular season, the Chicago, Illinois, native posted a shot put mark of 16.31m/53-6.25 that was the best throw of the campaign among NJCAA women. Her regular-season marks in the discus and hammer throw were second and third nationally, respectively. She was a two-time USTFCCCA National Women’s NJCAA Athlete of the Week in 2016.

Stewart’s junior-college bests of 16.31m/53-6.25 in the shot put, 50.79m/166-8 in the discus and 58.95m/193-5 in the hammer throw would all rank top three in Ole Miss history.

The entire 2016 Ole Miss track & field signing class will be announced soon.

For more information on Ole Miss Track & Field, follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissTrack, as well as Facebook and Instagram.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports

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