Four Louisville Student-Athletes Honored as Weaver-James-Corrigan Award Recipients
February 28, 2019 | General, Softball, Women's Golf, Women's Volleyball, Academic Services, Track & Field
Olivia Cason (women’s golf), Holly Hankenson (women’s track and field), Sidney Melton (softball) and Molly Sauer (volleyball) were among the 52 recipients from the ACC.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – University of Louisville student-athletes Olivia Cason (women's golf), Holly Hankenson (women's track and field), Sidney Melton (softball) and Molly Sauer (volleyball) were among 52 recipients of the 2019 Weaver-James-Corrigan Postgraduate Scholarship Award announced on Thursday by the Atlantic Coast Conference.
This year's list includes three student-athletes who will also receive the Thacker Award and nine student-athletes who plan to pursue professional careers in their chosen sports and were named honorary recipients, which includes Louisville's Cason.
The Weaver-James-Corrigan and Jim and Pat Thacker postgraduate scholarships are awarded to selected student-athletes who intend to pursue a graduate degree following completion of their undergraduate requirements. Each recipient will receive $6,000 toward his or her graduate education. Those honored have performed with distinction in both the classroom and their respective sport, while demonstrating exemplary conduct in the community.
The student-athletes will be honored at the annual Cone Health ACC Postgraduate Scholarship Luncheon presented by ESPN on April 10. The luncheon will be hosted by the Nat Greene Kiwanis Club at the Sheraton Four Seasons Hotel Imperial Ballroom in Greensboro, N.C.
OLIVIA CASON
Cason is in the final season of her four-year career with the Cardinals. The finance major is a three-time All-ACC Academic team selection and earned WGCA All-American Scholar honors in 2018. Cason has played in 40 events for Louisville, tallying 10 top-10 finishes including a sixth-place showing at the NCAA Bryan Regional as a freshman that qualified her for the NCAA Championship. The senior currently ranks eighth in Louisville history with a 74.88 career stroke average.
HOLLY HANKENSON
Hankenson earned second team All-American honors in the pentathlon at the 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships. She was the 2018 ACC Indoor pentathlon champion and set a new school record with 4,175 points. She was also the ACC runner-up at the ACC Outdoor Championships in the heptathlon. The marketing major has been named to the All-ACC Academic Team for three straight years. She was also named to the College of Business Dean's List for the last three seasons.
SIDNEY MELTON
A three-year starter, Melton was a 2018 All-ACC first team honoree after leading the Cardinals with a career-best 45 runs and finishing second on the team with 15 stolen bases. She was also a 2016 all-ACC tournament selection. The redshirt-senior infielder currently leads the team with 10 runs and stands ninth on Louisville's career list for runs (120) and stolen bases (36). Her success extends to the classroom as a three-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Scholar Athlete and All-ACC Academic Team member while majoring in health and human performance and exercise science with minors in sport administration and psychology.
MOLLY SAUER
A four-year starter, Sauer was named AVCA Honorable Mention All-American after earning First Team All-East Region and All-ACC, the only four-time member on the list. She was the 2015 Defensive Player of the Year and the Freshman of the Year (the only player to ever double up on those two awards) and the 2017 Defensive Player of the Year. She was a three-time member of the All-ACC Academic Team, one of only four players in the conference to earn the honor three straight years.
ABOUT THE WEAVER-JAMES-CORRIGAN AWARD
The Weaver-James-Corrigan Award is named in honor of the late Jim Weaver and Bob James, as well as Gene Corrigan, the first three ACC commissioners. The league's first commissioner, James H. Weaver, served the conference from 1954-70 after a stint as the Director of Athletics at Wake Forest University. His early leadership and uncompromising integrity are largely responsible for the excellent reputation enjoyed by the ACC today.
Robert C. James, a former University of Maryland football player, was named commissioner in 1971 and served in that capacity for 16 years. During his tenure, the league continued to grow in stature and became recognized as a national leader in athletics and academics, winning 23 national championships and maintaining standards of excellence in the classroom.
Eugene F. Corrigan assumed his role as the third full-time commissioner on September 1, 1987 and served until August of 1997. During Corrigan's tenure, ACC schools captured 30 NCAA championships and two national football titles.
Prior to 1994, the Weaver-James postgraduate scholarships were awarded as separate honors, including the Jim Weaver Award, the Marie James Award and the Bob James Award.
ABOUT THE THACKER AWARD
The Thacker Award, which originated in 2005, is awarded in honor of the late Jim and Pat Thacker of Charlotte, North Carolina. Jim Thacker was the primary play-by-play announcer for the ACC's first television network. Recipients of the award must demonstrate outstanding performance both in athletic competition and in the classroom and intend to further their education through postgraduate studies at an ACC institution. Clemson's Alice Hewson, Virginia Tech's Taylor Emery, and Wake Forest's Mimi Smith are this year's Thacker Award winners.
The following student-athletes will be honored as 2019 ACC Postgraduate Scholars:
This year's list includes three student-athletes who will also receive the Thacker Award and nine student-athletes who plan to pursue professional careers in their chosen sports and were named honorary recipients, which includes Louisville's Cason.
The Weaver-James-Corrigan and Jim and Pat Thacker postgraduate scholarships are awarded to selected student-athletes who intend to pursue a graduate degree following completion of their undergraduate requirements. Each recipient will receive $6,000 toward his or her graduate education. Those honored have performed with distinction in both the classroom and their respective sport, while demonstrating exemplary conduct in the community.
The student-athletes will be honored at the annual Cone Health ACC Postgraduate Scholarship Luncheon presented by ESPN on April 10. The luncheon will be hosted by the Nat Greene Kiwanis Club at the Sheraton Four Seasons Hotel Imperial Ballroom in Greensboro, N.C.
OLIVIA CASON
Cason is in the final season of her four-year career with the Cardinals. The finance major is a three-time All-ACC Academic team selection and earned WGCA All-American Scholar honors in 2018. Cason has played in 40 events for Louisville, tallying 10 top-10 finishes including a sixth-place showing at the NCAA Bryan Regional as a freshman that qualified her for the NCAA Championship. The senior currently ranks eighth in Louisville history with a 74.88 career stroke average.
HOLLY HANKENSON
Hankenson earned second team All-American honors in the pentathlon at the 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships. She was the 2018 ACC Indoor pentathlon champion and set a new school record with 4,175 points. She was also the ACC runner-up at the ACC Outdoor Championships in the heptathlon. The marketing major has been named to the All-ACC Academic Team for three straight years. She was also named to the College of Business Dean's List for the last three seasons.
SIDNEY MELTON
A three-year starter, Melton was a 2018 All-ACC first team honoree after leading the Cardinals with a career-best 45 runs and finishing second on the team with 15 stolen bases. She was also a 2016 all-ACC tournament selection. The redshirt-senior infielder currently leads the team with 10 runs and stands ninth on Louisville's career list for runs (120) and stolen bases (36). Her success extends to the classroom as a three-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Scholar Athlete and All-ACC Academic Team member while majoring in health and human performance and exercise science with minors in sport administration and psychology.
MOLLY SAUER
A four-year starter, Sauer was named AVCA Honorable Mention All-American after earning First Team All-East Region and All-ACC, the only four-time member on the list. She was the 2015 Defensive Player of the Year and the Freshman of the Year (the only player to ever double up on those two awards) and the 2017 Defensive Player of the Year. She was a three-time member of the All-ACC Academic Team, one of only four players in the conference to earn the honor three straight years.
ABOUT THE WEAVER-JAMES-CORRIGAN AWARD
The Weaver-James-Corrigan Award is named in honor of the late Jim Weaver and Bob James, as well as Gene Corrigan, the first three ACC commissioners. The league's first commissioner, James H. Weaver, served the conference from 1954-70 after a stint as the Director of Athletics at Wake Forest University. His early leadership and uncompromising integrity are largely responsible for the excellent reputation enjoyed by the ACC today.
Robert C. James, a former University of Maryland football player, was named commissioner in 1971 and served in that capacity for 16 years. During his tenure, the league continued to grow in stature and became recognized as a national leader in athletics and academics, winning 23 national championships and maintaining standards of excellence in the classroom.
Eugene F. Corrigan assumed his role as the third full-time commissioner on September 1, 1987 and served until August of 1997. During Corrigan's tenure, ACC schools captured 30 NCAA championships and two national football titles.
Prior to 1994, the Weaver-James postgraduate scholarships were awarded as separate honors, including the Jim Weaver Award, the Marie James Award and the Bob James Award.
ABOUT THE THACKER AWARD
The Thacker Award, which originated in 2005, is awarded in honor of the late Jim and Pat Thacker of Charlotte, North Carolina. Jim Thacker was the primary play-by-play announcer for the ACC's first television network. Recipients of the award must demonstrate outstanding performance both in athletic competition and in the classroom and intend to further their education through postgraduate studies at an ACC institution. Clemson's Alice Hewson, Virginia Tech's Taylor Emery, and Wake Forest's Mimi Smith are this year's Thacker Award winners.
The following student-athletes will be honored as 2019 ACC Postgraduate Scholars:
| Zach Allen | Boston College | Football |
| Asiya Dair | Boston College | Women's Tennis |
| Ann Isabelle Kennedy | Boston College | Women's Track & Field |
| Alice Hewson* | Clemson | Women's Golf |
| Miranda Weslake | Clemson | Women's Soccer |
| Virginia Elena Carta | Duke | Women's Golf |
| Mitchell Finesilver | Duke | Wrestling |
| Kayla McCoy | Duke | Women's Soccer |
| Brianne Burkert | Florida State | Women's Volleyball |
| Dallas Dorosy | Florida State | Women's Soccer |
| Meghan King | Florida State | Softball |
| Brad Stewart | Georgia Tech | Football |
| Amy Ruiz | Georgia Tech | Women's Track & Field |
| Jeanine Williams | Georgia Tech | Women's Track & Field |
| Holly Hankenson | Louisville | Women's Track & Field |
| Sidney Melton | Louisville | Softball |
| Molly Sauer | Louisville | Women's Volleyball |
| Jamie Brunworth | Miami | Women's Soccer |
| Jaquan Johnson | Miami | Football |
| Roxanne Yu | Miami | Women's Swimming and Diving |
| Blaine Boyden | North Carolina | Men's Tennis |
| Morgan Goetz | North Carolina | Field Hockey |
| Luke Maye | North Carolina | Men's Basketball |
| Anton Ipsen | NC State | Men's Swimming and Diving |
| Hannah Moore | NC State | Women's Swimming and Diving |
| Sydney Wootten | NC State | Women's Soccer |
| Sabrina Flores | Notre Dame | Women's Soccer |
| Allison Miller | Notre Dame | Women's Tennis |
| Thomas Ueland | Notre Dame | Men's Soccer |
| Kamalani Akeo | Pitt | Women's Volleyball |
| Olivia Gray | Pitt | Softball |
| Brian Lovasik | Pitt | Men's Swimming and Diving |
| Marcus Cunningham | Syracuse | Men's Lacrosse |
| Santita Ebangwese | Syracuse | Women's Volleyball |
| Arianna Lee | Syracuse | Rowing |
| Chesdin Harrington | Virginia | Baseball |
| Erika Osherow | Virginia | Softball |
| Rachel Politi | Virginia | Women's Swimming and Diving |
| Taylor Emery* | Virginia Tech | Women's Basketball |
| Ian Ho | Virginia Tech | Men's Swimming and Diving |
| Megan Anderson | Wake Forest | Field Hockey |
| Juliane Grashoff | Wake Forest | Field Hockey |
| Mimi Smith* | Wake Forest | Women's Cross County / Track & Field |
| * Thacker Award recipient | ||
| Honorary Postgraduate Scholarship Nominees | ||
| Christian Wilkins | Clemson | Football |
| James Clark | Georgia Tech | Men's Golf |
| Lindsay Morrow | NC State | Women's Swimming and Diving |
| Olivia Cason | Louisville | Women's Golf |
| Demetrius Jackson | Miami | Football |
| Alex Comsia | North Carolina | Men's Soccer |
| Drue Tranquill | Notre Dame | Football |
| Jaila Tolbert | Virginia Tech | Women's Volleyball |
| Petros Chrysochos | Wake Forest | Men's Tennis |
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Golf
Multi Events
/ Track & Field
INF
/ Softball
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