Academic Accolades Abound at Athletics Awards Banquet

Academic Accolades Abound at Athletics Awards Banquet

6/2/2021 12:58:00 PM | CROSS COUNTRY, ATHLETICS, MEN'S BASKETBALL, MEN'S GOLF, MEN'S SOCCER, MEN'S TENNIS, SOFTBALL, TRACK AND FIELD, WOMEN'S BASKETBALL, WOMEN'S SOCCER, WOMEN'S TENNIS, WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL, ACADEMICS

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Marija Jovicic and Chris Ahlers Win Coveted Cortelyou Honors

CHICAGO – DePaul University and its athletics department take great pride in the high level of academic achievement by its student-athletes---both nationally and at the conference level.

In fact, academic excellence is right at the top of athletics director DeWayne Peevy's list of priorities.

At the end of each academic year, DePaul Athletics pays tribute to its elite scholar-athletes who become time-management aficionados masterfully blending academic demands, sports competition and practices along with traveling all over the country.

Here is a rundown of the 2020-21 academic honorees recognized at last week's season-ending banquet that was organized for the first time by Captains' Council.

Rev. John R. Cortelyou Award

Two graduating seniors distinguished themselves by earning the highest grade-point averages in their student-athlete graduating class and are this year's recipients of the Reverend John R. Cortelyou Awards.

They are presented in the name of DePaul's former chancellor who was a significant force in the success of Blue Demon student-athletes and has been credited with the growth of DePaul athletics.

Father Cortelyou was noted for his contributions as an outstanding leader and his commitment to excellence.

Marija Jovicic from women's tennis is the female winner. Jovicic will graduate this month summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and a perfect 4.0 cumulative GPA. She was named to the BIG EAST All-Academic Team in 2018, 2019 and 2020 and will be a four-time selection this year.

Jovicic has appeared on the Dean's List and the Athletic Director's Honor Roll every quarter. She has been admitted to a combined degree program and will be pursing her master of science in computer science starting in the fall while completing her eligibility.

This year's male award winner is track and field's Chris Ahlers who is majoring in biochemistry with a minor in Spanish. He was named to the BIG EAST All-Academic Team in 2018, 2019 and 2020 and will be again this year.

Ahlers also appeared on the Dean's List and the Athletic Director's Honor Roll every quarter and has also maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA. He will graduate this month summa cum laude and begin medical school at the Iowa's Carver College of Medicine in the fall.

The academic accolades Jovicic and Ahlers have earned are remarkable and highly deserving of the highest academic honor a Blue Demon can receive.

Another highly coveted and prestigious distinction are the DePaul Athletics Board's Jean Nordberg and Father Edward Riley Awards.

They have been presented at the athletics awards celebration for more than 30 years and recognize the contributions of top female (Nordberg) and male (Riley) student-athletes whose academic excellence, personal character and leadership best reflect the awards' namesakes.

Jean Nordberg Memorial Award

The late Jean Nordberg was a DePaul physical education professor who helped elevate women's club sports to the intercollegiate level in the 1970s and is considered one of the founders of DePaul women's athletics.

This year's award-winners were dominated by the women's soccer team and the women's outdoor track and field team.

Women's soccer featured Bina Saipi, Adrian Walker, Jessica Lazo and Gwen Walker---a noteworthy academic performance matched only by the track and field quartet of Rutendo Chimbaru, Kate Jacobs, Lizzie DeJoie and Siarah Jones.

Rounding out the Nordberg Award winners are Avarie Evans-Allen (volleyball), Angela Scalzitti (softball) and BIG EAST Women's Tennis Player of the Year Aspasia Avgeri.

Father Edward Riley, C.M. Award

The Riley Awards are named after the late Father Edward Riley who was DePaul's Vice President for Student Affairs in the 1960's and 70's. He initiated an upgrade of scholarships for both men's and women's sports and is responsible for originating what has evolved into our Athletics Academic Advising program.

Men's track and field led the way with two honorees, Ashton Colaire and Ben Litwin. The other award winners included Brayden Callipari, (men's soccer), Perry Chong (golf), Chris Ahlers (men's cross country), Pantelis Xidias (men's basketball and Boris Spanjaard of the BIG EAST champion men's tennis team. For Ahlers, it was his second trip up to the banquet podium in academics.