Commencement events this weekend will include many Gator student-athletes.
Fifty-four Gator student-athletes participating in commencement
Friday, April 29, 2016 | General, Otis Hawkins Center
| 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 |
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