BAYLOR ATHLETICS: EQ's Thiel and BB's Thomas Earn Big 12 Postgraduate Scholarship

[Caton, Rachel]


BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – June 1, 2020

EQ’s THIEL AND BB’s THOMAS EARN BIG 12 POSTGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIPS
Thiel and Thomas represent BU as Gautt Postgraduate Scholarship recipients
For more information contact: Rachel Caton, (254) 652-2061, Rachel_Caton at baylor.edu<mailto:Rachel_Caton at baylor.edu>

IRVING, Texas – Baylor equestrian’s Grace Thiel and baseball’s Andy Thomas were two of 20 recipients for the prestigious 2019-20 Dr. Prentice Gautt Postgraduate Scholarships, announced today by the Big 12 Conference office.

The scholarships are named in honor of the late Dr. Prentice Gautt, a former Big 12 Conference staff member and student services' pioneer who passed away in March 2005. The list of all-time recipients has grown to 461 since the inception of the league in 1996-97. Starting in 2002-03, additional funding increased scholarship award winners to two per member institution.

Thiel and Thomas are Baylor's representatives among the 20 honorees, with each of the conference's member institutions awarded two scholarships, one male and one female.

For the second-straight year, an equestrian student-athlete represented as BU’s female recipient of the prestigious honor. Grace Thiel follows the 2018-19 recipient Samantha Howell and the two are the only BU student-athletes from the sport to have earned the scholarship.

In two seasons at Baylor, Thiel excelled both in sport and in the classroom. The 2019 NCEA First Team All-America honors was the Big 12 Flat Rider of the Year and an All-Big 12 selection during her career. Academically, she is a two-time Farnam NCEA All-Academic first team selection and was a three-time member of the Academic All-Big 12 first team.

Thomas is the fifth BU baseball student-athlete to earn the scholarship and the first since Richard Cunningham in 2016-17.

A four-year letterwinner and three-year starter for the Bears, Thomas is set to return to BU for his fifth season in 2021, taking advantage of the extra year of eligibility given due to COVID-19. A career .323 hitter, he has driven in 81 runs in his career with 8 home runs, 33 doubles and two triples as he has shown versatility playing multiple roles for the Bears.  He was named to the 2019 All-Big 12 First Team and was a Preseason All-Big 12 pick in 2020. He also earned Second Team All-Big 12 honors in 2018 as a sophomore.

Thomas is a three-time First Team Academic All-Big 12 honoree as he completed his undergraduate degree in marketing and plans to return to graduate school in either law or sport management. He was also named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District 7 Team in 2019.

To date the Big 12 has provided over $3.5 million for postgraduate education. The individual grants began at $2,500 in 1996-97, were raised to $5,000 in 1999 and increased to $6,900 for 2004-05. The awards climbed to $7,500 in 2006-07, moved to $9,000 in 2011-12 and have been at $10,000 since 2013-14.

Criteria for the awards includes a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.200 on a 4.000 scale, participation in at least two years of intercollegiate athletics at the nominee’s respective institution.  The student-athletes must graduate from their respective member institutions and enroll in graduate or professional school of their choice within 15 months of their selection of the postgraduate scholarship.  Three faculty athletic representatives, one director of athletics, one senior woman administrator, one head athletics trainer and the chair and vice-chair of the Big 12 Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee form the selection panel for the awards.

Baylor Dr. Prentice Gautt Postgraduate Scholarship Winners
2019-20 – Grace Thiel (EQ), Andy Thomas (BB)
2018-19 – Samantha Howell (EQ), Seth Brown (T&F/CC)
2017-18 - Precious Akanyirige (SOC), Matt Parham<https://baylorbears.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=2381> (T&F/CC)
2016-17 - Lindsay Burns (SOC), Richard Cunningham (BB)
2015-16 - John Ryan Hardy (CC/T&F), Raena Rhone (T&F)
2014-15 - Troy Baker (FB), Kaitlyn Thumann (SB)
2013-14 - Nate Goodwin<http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/nate_goodwin_724532.html> (BB), Kat Ludlow<http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/w-soccer/mtt/kat_ludlow_712541.html> (SOC)
2012-13 - Nick Florence<https://baylorbears.com/staff.aspx?staff=26> (FB), Kathy Shelton (SB)
2011-12 - Sydney Wilson (SB), Jon Ringenberg<http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/jon_ringenberg_345151.html> (BB)
2010-11 - Tiffany Wesley (SB), Logan Roberts (T&F/CC)
2009-10 - Gianna Quintana<http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/w-soccer/mtt/gianna_quintana_310711.html> (SOC), Dominik Mueller (MT)
2008-09 - Lyndsy Bedell (CC/T&F), Zach Dillon<http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/zach_dillon_796772.html> (BB)
2007-08 - Kristen Schramek (VB), Tim Jackson<http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/tim_jackson_183947.html> (BB)
2006-07 - Chelsi Lake (SB), Irwin Price (CC)
2005-06 - Phil Tran (FB), Sara Hausner (SB)
2004-05 - Stephen Sepulveda (FB), Lori Viggiano<http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/w-soccer/mtt/lori_viggiano_70246.html> (SOC)
2003-04 - John Martin (FB), Megan McCoin (CC/T&F)
2002-03 - Ross Bennett<http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/ross_bennett_64252.html> (BB), Whitney Barrett<http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/w-soccer/mtt/whitney_barrett_46567.html> (SOC)
2001-02 - Tim Hartson (BB), Lanie Millar (CC/T&F)
2000-01 - Kerry O'Bric (T&F), Mark Williams (MTennis)
1997-98 - Douglas Maziur (T&F)

 -baylorbears.com-
__________________________________

Rachel Caton | Associate Sports Information Director
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
O: 254-710-3784 | C: 254-652-2061

[cid:image001.png at 01D5070F.1E7C3CA0]<http://baylorbears.com/>

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