Geno Morelli (Photo/Juan Garcia)UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State Nittany Lion wrestler Geno Morelli (DuBois, Pa.) and Lindsay Agnew of Ohio State University have been chosen as the 2017 Wayne Duke Postgraduate Award recipients by the Indianapolis Big Ten Community Partnership. The award is an annual scholarship recognizing one male and one female Big Ten senior pursuing a postgraduate degree for achievements in academics, athletics, extracurricular activities and leadership.
Morelli, who transfered to Penn State after two years at Pitt, was an All-ACC Academic Wrestling team member, First-Team National Wrestling All-Academic Winner, named to the Nittany All-Academic Team and a University of Pittsburgh Scholar-Athlete. The senior holds a 3.95 GPA in energy business and finance. Morelli has also been an Academic All-Big Ten selection and Morelli earned a starting position in the Nittany Lion lineup and helped the team to its 2016 NCAA Championship while being ranked as high as No. 10 nationally in his respective weight class.
Morelli is 10-1 this year, including three pins, and will end his collegiate career with a 66-37 career record and eight pins. Morelli is the third Penn Stater to win the honor since its inception in 2008.
Morelli has been involved in Penn State's summer wrestling camps and clinics, is a member of the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club and a representative for the University of Pittsburgh Student Athlete Advisory Committee. In his spare time, Morelli gives back to the community by volunteering with the KaBOOM Playground Project, which constructs playgrounds in low income areas, and with Penn State's Agriculture Progress day. Morelli is the third Penn State student to receive the Wayne Duke Postgraduate Award.
Agnew completed her final soccer season this fall at Ohio State and will graduate in May with a degree in environmental and natural resources. Her focus is on environment, economy, development and sustainability with a minor in engineering sciences. With one semester left to complete, Agnew boasts a 3.86 cumulative GPA. In the fall, Agnew will be pursuing a master's in business administration to further her education in the business sector and to create connections with different corporations around the world. Agnew started all 23 matches of the season as assistant captain, tied for second in the Big Ten with seven assists and was named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team.
Originally from Kingston, Ontario, and now hailing from Dublin, Ohio, Agnew is heavily involved in Soles for the Souls, a nonprofit organization that distributes shoes, the Girls and Boys Club of Columbus, Second and Seven where she reads to second graders and Run the Race, an after school program that helps kids from the inner city of Columbus get outside and play. Agnew, who was selected in the second round of the 2017 National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) Draft by the Washington Spirit and currently is playing with the Canadian Senior National Team at the Algarve Cup in Portugal, is the second Wayne Duke Postgraduate Award recipient from Ohio State.
Agnew and Morelli will be honored in Indianapolis during the Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament on Saturday, March 4, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
In recognition of the Big Ten's leadership in fully integrating athletics into the academic mission of its member institutions, the Indianapolis Big Ten Community Partnership initiated the Wayne Duke Postgraduate Award in 2008. Each Big Ten institution was asked to nominate one male and one female student for 2017, with a $10,000 scholarship awarded to each winner.
The Wayne Duke Postgraduate Award is named for the former Big Ten Conference commissioner who served from 1971 to 1989. While leading the Big Ten, Duke spent much of his time working to improve academic standards and graduation rates for students competing in conference athletics. The award is made possible by donations from local corporations and individuals supporting intercollegiate athletics. The Indianapolis Big Ten Community Partnership is comprised of the State of Indiana, City of Indianapolis, Indiana Sports Corp, Pacers Sports & Entertainment and Visit Indy.
2017 Wayne Duke Postgraduate Award Nominees:
University of Illinois: Nicole Evans, softball; Thomas Gibbs, gymnastics
Indiana University: Malia Fujisawa, field hockey; Derek Creviston, soccer
University of Iowa: Serena Wanasek, swimming; Andrew Botto, gymnastics
University of Maryland: Tayler Stiles, baseball
University of Michigan: Eliza Stein, field hockey; Cameron Stitt, swimming and diving
Michigan State University: Halle Peterson, volleyball; Edward Barksdale, football
University of Minnesota: Joanna Hedstrom, basketball; Michael Kroells, wrestling
University of Nebraska: Kadie Rolfzen, volleyball; Tim Lambert, wrestling
Northwestern University: Kayla Morin, volleyball; Matthew Harris, football
Ohio State University: Lindsay Agnew, soccer; Christian Blough, volleyball
Penn State University: Casey Francis, swimming and diving; Geno Morelli, wrestling
Purdue University: Fayette Adelaja, volleyball; Alexander Toetz, swimming and diving
Rutgers University: Sarah Regn, field hockey; Patrick McCabe, lacrosse
University of Wisconsin: Jenny Ryan, hockey; Connor Medbery, wrestling
Previous Wayne Duke Postgraduate Award Recipients:
2016: Cody Rush, Nebraska, men's track and field; Lindsay Mable, Minnesota, women's gymnastics
2015: Campbell Sode, Rutgers, men's lacrosse; Jessica Plant, Minnesota, women's swimming
2014: Spencer Long, Nebraska, football; Emily Wong, Nebraska, women's gymnastics
2013: Sean Fisher, Nebraska, football; Katelyn White, Nebraska, women's cross country and track and field
2012: Miguel Pineda, Penn State, men's gymnastics; Margaux Farrell, Indiana, women's swimming
2011: Mike Torchia, Minnesota, men's cross country and track and field; Allie Smith, Purdue, women's swimming
2010: Mark Ison, Northwestern, football; Chelsea Davis, Ohio State, women's diving
2009: Drew Ratner, Northwestern, men's soccer; Lauren Mioton, Purdue, women's basketball
2008: Kevin Trulock, Indiana, football; Molly Crispell, Penn State, women's swimming
About the Big Ten Conference: The Big Ten Conference is an association of world-class universities whose member institutions share a common mission of research, graduate, professional and undergraduate teaching and public service. Founded in 1896, the Big Ten has sustained a comprehensive set of shared practices and policies that enforce the priority of academics in the lives of students competing in intercollegiate athletics and emphasize the values of integrity, fairness and competitiveness. The broad-based programs of the 14 Big Ten institutions will provide over $200 million in direct financial support to more than 9,500 students for more than 11,000 participation opportunities on 350 teams in 42 different sports. The Big Ten sponsors 28 official conference sports, 14 for men and 14 for women, including the addition of men's ice hockey and men's and women's lacrosse since 2013. For more information, visit www.bigten.org.
Indiana Sports Corp's mission is to create positive impact by hosting world-class sporting events which drive economic vitality, facilitate a vibrant community with civic pride, garner national and international media attention and create opportunities for our youth. A not-for-profit organization, Indiana Sports Corp was founded in 1979 as the nation's first sports commission. Our recent and upcoming schedule of events includes NCAA Men's and Women's Final Fours, Big Ten Football Championship Games through 2021, Big Ten Basketball Tournaments and much more. For more information, visit www.IndianaSportsCorp.org.
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