DII to provide $50,000 in total scholarships
Indianapolis, Ind. – Division II has announced the 46 student-athletes who will each receive the 50th Anniversary Scholarship, worth over $1,000, and St. Thomas Aquinas Men's Cross Country and Track & Field senior distance runner Kiernan Keenan has been selected from the East Coast Conference.
Recipients have exemplified the division’s Life in the Balance philosophy through high-level athletics competition, academic achievement, campus involvement and community engagement. The recipients were recognized during the opening ceremonies at the Division II Festival on Monday in Orlando, Fla. Division II schools submitted 196 nominations for the commemorative scholarship. Conference offices reviewed their member schools’ nominations and selected up to four finalists for review by the Division II Management Council Identity Subcommittee. The subcommittee reviewed all finalist submissions and determined the recipients, awarding one male student-athlete and one female student-athlete from each of the 23 Division II conferences.
Keenan (Nanuet, N.Y.) graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in business management with minors in finance and economics earlier this month. A member of the Delta Mu Delta Honor Society (2024) and Chi Alpha Sigma National Honor Society (2023), Keenan will remain at STAC to pursue the Master of Science in Teaching track, which will put him on pace to pursue his dreams of teaching and igniting a passion in students for serving a greater purpose.
From coordinating weekly practices for a local track club, to coaching the runners at his alma mater, as well as providing for those in need through helping community food banks and athletic programs for children with disabilities, Keenan’s mission has been people-driven with a focus on giving back to the communities that built him, and serving others is what he has come to value most. With his athletic background, he looks forward to the prospect of utilizing his final year of athletic eligibility for the Spartans, with whom he is a four-time point scorer on the ECC level.
“Congratulations to these deserving student-athletes who exhibit the core values of Division II,” said Terri Steeb Gronau, Vice President of Division II. “It was important while celebrating the history of Division II that we also recognize and celebrate our student-athlete leaders in a meaningful way.”
Division II 50th Anniversary Scholarship Recipients
|
Name |
School |
Conference |
|
Kimberly Deboer |
San Francisco State |
California Collegiate Athletic Association |
|
Nick Melanese |
Cal State San Marcos |
California Collegiate Athletic Association |
|
Sophia Ridolfo |
Georgian Court |
Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference |
|
Joey Datta |
Caldwell |
Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference |
|
Amesha Miller |
Virginia State |
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association |
|
Tyler Bowers |
Johnson C. Smith |
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association |
|
Catherine Hendershott |
Belmont Abbey |
Conference Carolinas |
|
Donald Medley |
Converse |
Conference Carolinas |
|
Kiarra Roth |
Molloy |
East Coast Conference |
|
Kieran Keenan |
St. Thomas Aquinas |
East Coast Conference |
|
Kayte DeLong |
Southern Arkansas |
Great American Conference |
|
Cole Williams |
Southern Arkansas |
Great American Conference |
|
Salma Raslan |
Purdue Northwest |
Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference |
|
Myles Rhodes |
Grand Valley State |
Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference |
|
Emma Thompson |
Truman State |
Great Lakes Valley Conference |
|
Logan Turner |
Southwest Baptist |
Great Lakes Valley Conference |
|
Alaysia Brooks |
Ursuline |
Great Midwest Athletic Conference |
|
Jalin Pitchford |
Northwood |
Great Midwest Athletic Conference |
|
Hannah Hair |
Seattle Pacific |
Great Northwest Athletic Conference |
|
Brody Kemble |
Northwest Nazarene |
Great Northwest Athletic Conference |
|
Elizabeth Balent |
Montevallo |
Gulf South Conference |
|
Tristan Kelly |
Union (Tennessee) |
Gulf South Conference |
|
Ashley Ingram |
Texas Woman's University |
Lone Star Conference |
|
Tyriq Wilson |
St. Edward's |
Lone Star Conference |
|
Arley Anderson |
Central Missouri |
Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association |
|
Cale Cormaney |
Fort Hays State |
Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association |
|
Josephine Borelle |
Fairmont State |
Mountain East Conference |
|
Reese Burnside |
West Liberty |
Mountain East Conference |
|
Brianna Shea |
Pace |
Northeast-10 Conference |
|
Brandon Potts |
Saint Anselm |
Northeast-10 Conference |
|
Natalie Jens |
Minnesota State University Moorhead |
Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference |
|
Jack Strand |
Minnesota State University Moorhead |
Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference |
|
Bethany Arabe |
Point Loma |
Pacific West Conference |
|
Mason Cook |
Hawaii Hilo |
Pacific West Conference |
|
Claire Mills |
North Georgia |
Peach Belt Conference |
|
Max Garnett |
North Georgia |
Peach Belt Conference |
|
Anna Igims |
Slippery Rock |
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference |
|
Brayden Long |
Slippery Rock |
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference |
|
Alessandra Meoni |
South Dakota Mines |
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference |
|
Sebastian O'Farrell |
Black Hills State |
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference |
|
Hannah Dunn |
Catawba |
South Atlantic Conference |
|
Gabe Croom |
Lincoln Memorial |
South Atlantic Conference |
|
Tederia Ashley |
Miles |
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference |
|
Jerris Baker |
Miles |
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference |
|
Molly Shapiro |
University of Tampa |
Sunshine State Conference |
|
Kenan Dean |
University of Tampa |
Sunshine State Conference |