FORT WORTH, Texas – TCU equestrian’s Alexi Child and swimming and diving’s Joseph Stegeman have been selected to receive the 2014-15 Dr. Prentice Gautt Postgraduate Scholarship, the Big 12 conference announced today.
Child, a native of Aurora, Oregon, racked up all-conference and NCEA All-America accolades during her career at TCU competing in the western events and also earned the NCAA postgraduate scholarship.
Stegeman, from Springfield, Illinois, was a two-time All-Big 12 and Academic All-Big 12 honoree and helped lead the men’s team to a second-place finish at the Big 12 Championships all three years in the league.
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 361 since the inception of the league in 1996-97. Starting in 2002-03, additional funding increased scholarship award winners to two per member institution.
To date the Big 12 has provided over $2.5 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 are now at $10,000 since 2013-14.
Criteria for the awards includes a cumulative grade point average of 3.200 on a 4.000 scale, participation in at least two years of intercollegiate athletics at the nominee’s respective institution and completion of athletics’ eligibility. The student-athletes also must graduate from their respective member institutions within 15 months of their selection for a postgraduate scholarship and are expected to enroll in graduate/professional schools within two years of graduation. Three faculty representatives, one senior woman administrator and one director of athletics form the selection panel for the awards.
Swimming news courtesy of TCU Swimming and Diving.
