GSU Athletics Honored with NAIA Scholar Awards

UNIVERSITY PARK, IL—Six athletic teams and 27 students-athletes from Governors State were bestowed academic awards from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics on NAIA National Awards Day. All total, the NAIA recognized nearly 2,000 teams and close to 11,000 student-athletes for their achievements during the 2021-22 school year.

The following Jaguar squads received NAIA Scholar Team Awards for maintaining grade-point averages above 3.00: women's golf (3.49), women's basketball (3.28), men's soccer (3.16), women's soccer (3.15), women's volleyball (3.13) and men's cross country (3.07).

In addition, the following student-athletes were recipients of NAIA-Daktronics Scholar-Athletes Awards:

Jillian Basile (WSOC)
Breanna Bembenek (WSOC)
Angelique Cowan (WBB)
Martin Esquivel (MSOC)
Carah Graham (WSOC)
Melissa Guerrero (WSOC)
Patrick Guilfoyle (MGF)
Autumn Hollowell (WSOC)
Bailey Honn (WXC)
Zoie Langlois (WSOC)
Juan Manuel Rodriguez (MSOC)
Lotte Miller (WBB)
Elian Munoz (MSOC)
Miguel Navarrete (MSOC/MXC)
Ivana Novakovic (VB)
Emely Oviedo (WSOC)
Julia Reyes (VB)
Glenn Rhone (MBB)
Alyssa Rosales (WSOC)
Pablo Rosso (MSOC)
Kaycee Sain (WGF)
Jamie Skvarla (VB)
Sedona Smith (WGF)
Dylan Swearengen (MSOC)
Dawson Swearengen (MSOC)
Adam Taylor (MBB/MGF)
Jordan Towery (WBB)

Adam Taylor and Miguel Navarrete received two awards each as multiple-sport athletes.

The Scholar-Athlete Award recognizes student-athletes who are juniors or above in academic standing and own a cumulative grade-point average of 3.50 or higher. They also must have attended two full years at their respective institution or a full year as a transfer. A change in the nomination process resulted in sophomores and first-year transfers being eligible for awards.