INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Division II has announced the 46 student-athletes who will each receive the 50th Anniversary Scholarship, worth over $1,000. The recipients were recognized during the opening ceremonies at the Division II Festival on Monday in Orlando, Florida.
Union University junior Tristan Kelly was one of the 46 recipients nationally for the scholarship and the male recipient from the Gulf South Conference. Kelly has been a key runner on the Union men’s cross country team for three seasons. Kelly is a member of the GSC Honor Roll, five times named to the Union President’s List. His community service included college Young Life, SAAC Executive Board member, life group leader, and campus recreation leader. He is a member of the college leadership team at Calvary Baptist Church and has served on mission trips to Utah leading camps for LDS kids.
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.
“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.”
Recipients have exemplified the division’s Life in the Balance philosophy through high-level athletics competition, academic achievement, campus involvement, and community engagement.
Learn who the recipients are below.
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
