Whitney Benik One of 44 Gator Student-Athletes to Receive Degree This Weekend
Thursday, April 30, 2009 | Women's Tennis
Whitney Benik (Delray Beach, Fla.) of the Florida women's tennis team is one of 44 Gator student-athletes who will receive their undergraduate degree this weekend, as commencement ceremonies take place throughout the campus.
Benik, who completed her four-year Gator career in May of 2008, will receive a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Education & Behavior, as 13 different Gator sports teams will be represented during this graduation period.
BENIK'S CAREER NOTES: Career-high ITA singles ranking: No. 52 (January 10, 2006)... Career-high ITA doubles ranking: 3 (Jan. 11, 2005 with Lolita Frangulyan) … 2005 Doubles All-American … 2004-05 Riviera/ITA All-American Doubles champion (with Frangulyan) … 2006 & 2008 First Team All-Southeastern Conference (unanimous selection in '06) … 2006 SEC Academic Honor Roll ... 2005 SEC Freshman Academic Honor Roll … logged a combined 205 singles and doubles victories, the 14th most in UF history ... posted a 99-31 singles record and a 106-50 doubles mark, as she totaled the eighth-most doubles wins in Gator history … became the 11th Gator to win 100 career doubles matches … comprised half of Florida's 2008 senior class that helped the Gators win three Southeastern Conference regular-season titles and a pair of league tournament crowns during their tenure, while guiding Florida log a perfect 53-0 home record during their four-year career … the Gators' 4-0 win against Auburn in the 2008 NCAA Second Round marked her final home appearance and placed the 2008 Senior Class in elite company, joining only the 1998 Senior Class of Bonnie Bleecker and Dawn Buth as the only other four-year class to go undefeated at home during their careers … won two collegiate doubles titles … four-year UF letterwinner from 2004-08.
| Sport | Gator | Degree |
| FOOTBALL (7) | John Curtis | BS - Recreation, Parks & Tourism |
| Joseph Ijjas | BA - Architecture | |
| Taylor Jacobs | BA - Sociology | |
| Andrew Johnson | BS - Biology | |
| Kestahn Moore | BS - Recreation, Parks & Tourism | |
| Eric Rutledge | BA - Sociology | |
| Jason Watkins | BS - Family, Youth & Community Sciences | |
| MEN'S TRACK/CC (6) | Eric Alberter | BA - Anthropology |
| Scott Hans | BS - Recreation, Parks & Tourism | |
| Bernard Middleton | BA - History | |
| Enoch Nadler | BA - Business Administration | |
| Westley Stockbarger | BS - Recreation, Parks & Tourism | |
| Patrick Troy | BA - English | |
| WOMEN'S TRACK/CC (8) | Alexandra Black | BS - Food Science & Human Nutrition |
| Kristen Johnson | BS - Biology | |
| Kathryn Kramer | BS - Food Science & Human Nutrition | |
| Lauren Menke | BS - Microbiology & Biochemistry | |
| Natalie Moser | BS - Health Education & Behavior | |
| Sara Petrick | BS - Health Education & Behavior | |
| Lindsay Sundell | BS - Advertising | |
| Jenna Utecht | BS - Health Education & Behavior | |
| BASEBALL (3) | J. Dustin Bamberg | BA - History |
| Bryson Barber | BS - Recreation, Parks & Tourism | |
| Aaron Sobieraj | BS - Recreation, Parks & Tourism | |
| WOMEN'S TENNIS (1) | Whitney Benik | BS - Health Education & Behavior |
| WOMEN'S SWIM & DIVE (6) | Caroline Burckle | BA - Sociology |
| Caroline Drab | BS - Telecommunications | |
| Sarah Ellerby | BS - Applied Physiology & Kinesiology | |
| Kimberly Larson | BS - Recreation, Parks & Tourism | |
| Whitney Stern | BS - Zoology | |
| Lindsay Woodward | BS - Interdiscipinary Studies | |
| MEN'S SWIM & DIVE (6) | Grant Johnson | BA - Anthropolpgy |
| Cody Kauffman | BS - Marketing | |
| Aaron Leech | BS - Building Construction | |
| Daniel Penniman | BS - Food & Resouce Economics | |
| Scott Thompson | BS - Political Science | |
| Tobias Work | BS - Computer Science | |
| SOFTBALL (2) | Lindsay Cameron | BA - Sociology |
| Mary Ratliff | BS - Political Science | |
| VOLLEYBALL (2) | Christina Diaz | BS - Health Education & Behavior |
| Maurelle "Marcie" Hampton | BS - Telecommunications | |
| WOMEN'S HOOPS (1) | Aneika Henry | BS - Family, Youth & Community Sciences |
| GYMNASTICS (1) | Nicola Willis | BS - Health Education & Behavior |
| MEN'S GOLF (2) | William "Billy" Horschel | BS - Recreation, Parks & Tourism |
| William "Will" Strickler | BA - Economics & Anthropology | |
| SOCCER (2) | Elizabeth "Liz" Ruberry | BS - Health Education & Behavior |
| Patricia Townsend |
-UF-
