Florida Gators

 

Did You Know…

69% of the 2016 spring graduates were part of a national and/or Southeastern Conference championship team during their Gator careers.

 
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - A total of 54 University of Florida student-athletes will participate in this weekend's commencement ceremonies at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.


Gator Graduate Notables:

• Recipients of the outstanding graduating student-athlete honors are men's basketball's Dorian Finney-Smith (Doug Belden Award) and Brianna Morgan of women's tennis (Tracy Caulkins Award). Morgan is also the recipient of the 2016 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award for women's tennis.
• Three were conference players of the year during their Gator careers: Ciarra Brewer (2014 SEC Co-Women's Outdoor Field), Mark Merklein (1994 SEC Men's Tennis) and Allie Will (2011 SEC Women's Tennis). Brianna Morgan (2016) and Will (2011) were SEC Tournament MVPs. Dorian Finney-Smith was the 2014 SEC Sixth Man of the Year.
• A total of 14 graduates earned All-America honors during their Gator careers.
• Six claimed 15 NCAA individual event titles:
  • Ciarra Brewer – 2015 indoor triple jump
  • Claudia Francis – 2015 outdoor 4x400
  • Hugh Graham Jr. – member of Florida's 2012 (outdoor 4x400), 2013 (outdoor 4x100, 4x400) and 2014 (outdoor 4x100) relays
  • Mark Merklein – 1993 NCAA doubles and 1994 NCAA singles
  • Bridget Sloan – 2013 (all-around, balance beam), 2014 (uneven bars), 2016 (all-around, bars, beam)
  • Stipe Zunic – 2015 indoor shot put

• Bridget Sloan won the 2013 and 2016 Honda Award as the nation's top collegiate gymnast
• Five receive master's degrees this weekend – track & field's Charles Chambers, lacrosse's Nicole Graziano, women's basketball's Carlie Needles, track & field's Kike Oniwinde and football's Valdez Showers.
• Ten will graduate cum laude – Sam Darcangelo, Devin McDermott, Lauren Lea, Brianna Morgan, Carly Ross, Devon Schneider, Taylor Schwarz, Taylor Tubbs, Kiersten Wang and Jared Watkins.
• Six Gators returned to complete coursework toward their degree – Carlos Dunlap (currently with NFL's Cincinnati Bengals), Jelani Jenkins (currently with NFL's Miami Dolphins), Mark Merklein (former ATP player), Hudson Randall (formerly part of MLB's Detroit Tigers organization). Josh Adams (formerly part of MLB's Miami Marlins organization) and Allie Will (former WTA player)
• Jared Watkins receives a $7,500 post-graduate scholarships as Florida's nominees for the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Award. Zach Hernandez is Florida's nominee for the 2016 Brad Davis Community Service Award and will receive a $5,000 post-graduate scholarship.
• Academic All-Southeastern Conference honors were earned by 41 during their Florida careers.

 

2016 University of Florida Student-Athlete Spring Commencement Participants
Name	Sport	Degree
Josh Adams	Baseball	Anthropology
Mike Fahrman	Baseball	Accounting
Hudson Randall	Baseball	Family Youth and Community Sciences
Dorian Finney-Smith	Men's Basketball	Family, Youth and Community Sciences
DeVon Walker	Men's Basketball	Criminology
January Miller	Women's Basketball	Telecommunications
Carlie Needles	Women's Basketball	Master's - Management
Cassie Peoples	Women's Basketball	Religion
Carlos Dunlap	Football	Family, Youth and Community Sciences
Austin Hardin	Football	Sport Management
Jelani Jenkins	Football	Applied Physiology and Kinesiology
Ben Peacock	Football	Construction Management
Valdez Showers	Football	Master's - Management
Richard Donegan	Men's Golf	Food & Resource Economics
Conor Richardson	Men's Golf	Economics
Bridget Sloan	Gymnastics	Telecommunications
Kiersten Wang	Gymnastics	Civil Engineering
Sam Darcangelo	Lacrosse	Criminology
Sydney DuPre	Lacrosse	Finance
Angela Flister	Lacrosse	Criminology
Nicole Graziano	Lacrosse	Master's - Management
Lauren Lea	Lacrosse	Health Education and Behavior
Darcy Messina	Lacrosse	History
Carly Ross	Lacrosse	Health Science
Jackie Rupp	Lacrosse	Sport Management
Devon Schneider	Lacrosse	Sport Management
Mary-Sean Wilcox	Lacrosse	Sociology
Beth Willertz	Lacrosse	Sociology
Taylore Fuller	Softball	Sociology
Taylor Schwarz	Softball	Telecommunications
Matthew Curby	Men's Swimming	Zoology
Zach Hernandez	Men's Diving	Finance
Carlos Omana	Men's Swimming	Family, Youth and Community Sciences
Thomas Veale	Men's Swimming	Food & Resource Economics
Molly DuBrasky	Women's Swimming	Family, Youth and Community Sciences
Mark Merklein	Men's Tennis	Criminology
Gordon Watson	Men's Tennis	Sport Management
Brianna Morgan	Women's Tennis	Psychology
Allie Will	Women's Tennis	Telecommunications
Charles Chambers	Men's Track & Field	Master's - Management
Jimmy Clark	Men's Track & Field	Food & Resource Economics
Eddie Garcia	Men's Track & Field	Sport Management
Hugh Graham Jr.	Men's Track & Field	Criminology
Kyle Strawn	Men's Track & Field	Political Science
Jared Watkins	Men's Track & Field	Chemical Engineering
Stipe Zunic	Men's Track & Field	Family, Youth and Community Sciences
Ciarra Brewer	Women's Track & Field	Recreation, Parks and Tourism
Claudia Francis	Women's Track & Field	Anthropology
Devin McDermott	Women's Track & Field	Telecommunications
Kike Oniwinde	Women's Track & Field	Master's - Management
Taylor Tubbs	Women's Track & Field	Economics
Gabby Mallette	Volleyball	Telecommunications
Nikki O'Rourke	Volleyball	Sport Management
Ziva Recek	Volleyball	Tourism, Events & Recreation Management