Six Student-Athletes Receive MSU Awards of Excellence

Montana State University announced its annual Awards of Excellence honors on Tuesday, Feb. 17. The award is given annually to 40 seniors at MSU who exhibit exceptional performance in academic and community leadership. Six MSU student-athletes were honored in this year's class, and it is the third year in a row that MSU student-athletes have comprised more than 10 percent of MSU's top-achieving seniors on campus. This marked the 27th year the awards have gone out to students and faculty members at MSU.

“We're fortunate to have such a high caliber of student-athlete in our programs,” Director of Athletics Peter Fields said. “These six are a great example of the integration of athletics and community here at MSU. It's amazing that they can be full-time athletes, full-time students, and be involved in the community all at a very high level. I am in awe of what they have accomplished.”

In addition to the six Awards of Excellence recipients, senior Elliott Barnhart was honored with the prestigious Torlief Aasheim Community Involvement Award recognizing students who give of themselves to their communities in addition to their outstanding academic and campus achievements. The award is named in honor of the late Torlief Aasheim, a dedicated fan of Bobcat Athletics and Montana State University. The award goes to one male and one female each year. Following are the six student-athlete recipients:

Christopher Baldus, Bozeman, Montana GPA: 3.98 overall, 4.0
Cross Country/ Track and Field

Baldus is a business major with a specialization in finance. He is working towards a minor in economics. He is a four-year member of the cross country and track and field teams and is a six-time academic all-conference selection. He made the President's list five of his first six semesters on campus, and is a member of the Finance Club on campus. He has worked with Compusource, a networking technology company, on two of the largest projects in company history.

Elliott Barnhart, Broadus, Montana GPA: 3.62
Football

Barnhart is a microbiology major actively involved in undergraduate research at MSU. He has researched and published in the fields of microbiology ecology and coal bed methane generation. Barnhart was also a residence advisor on campus for two semesters and played football from 2004-2007. He has earned Academic All-American honors in football, received the Montana Athletes in Service Award and was the 2006 Offensive Player of the Year and 2007 team captain for the Bobcats. He was also a member of the University Choir in the spring of 2008. Off-campus, Barnhart is an active volunteer as a youth group leader, and has volunteered as a coach at several youth football camps. He participated in numerous volunteer events as a student athlete including the President's Day Plunge for Special Olympics and the Relay for Life.

Matt Beamer, Casper, Wyoming GPA: 3.97
Cross Country/Track and Field

Beamer, a Presidential Scholar, is a math and French major. He studied abroad in France in 2007-08 and has been honored as an Outstanding Scholar for math. He received an undergraduate scholarship for research while in France. He has volunteered as an A.C.E. Language Institute mentor at MSU and also volunteered as a mentor at Bozeman High through the Child Advancement Program (CAP). He has also served on a search committee for the French department. He is a multiple Big Sky Conference all-academic selection in cross country and track.

Mara Hoefer, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany GPA: 3.66
Women's Basketball

Hoefer is a business major with a marketing and management option. She is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, a business honorary society and Phi Theta Kappa, the international honorary society of two-year colleges. She worked in marketing/advertising internships in her native Germany for two basketball clubs, and has assisted in a marketing research project at MSU. She has participated in youth basketball clinics as a volunteer coach and also in many Montana State student-athlete volunteer projects.

Nathaniel Park, Bozeman, Montana GPA: 3.93
Nordic Skiing

Park, one of two Bozeman natives in this group, was a 2007-08 captain of the MSU nordic ski team. He is a chemistry major with a specialization in environmental science. Park is also a Presidential Scholar. He is a five-time Dean's List recipient and three-time President's List honoree. He was a 2008 finalist for an organic chemistry award from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and also has participated in undergraduate chemistry research here at MSU. He was a 2008 recipient of the Geer Howald Callis Grant and worked on the Undergraduate Scholars Project on mineral weathering at Big Sky. He was a 2006-07 NCAA All-Academic Intercollegiate Ski Team honoree. Park also volunteers with the Bridger Ski Foundation Nordic Ski Team fundraisers.

Claire Rennie, Ottawa, Ontario Canada GPA: 3.89
Nordic Skiing

Rennie is a biomedical sciences major at MSU. She has participated in three NCAA championships as a member of the MSU nordic ski contingent and placed 11th in 2007. She is a captain of this year's squad. Rennie has also represented the ski team on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) for two years where she helped coordinate the Toys for Tots fundraiser as well as the “Night With the Cats” play night for local children. She also participated in a two-week medical volunteer trip to Nicaragua where she helped diagnose and treat patients at local clinics.

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Six Student-Athletes Receive MSU Awards of Excellence

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