B.A. in Economics
Gates Mills, Ohio

Presentation Remarks:

Mike, in your Denison career you have chosen to test your mettle to the max in two arenas – on the athletic fields and in the classroom – and you have mastered each of those environments with what one of your nominators calls “integrity, strength of character, and extraordinary moral compass.” You have been honored many times as the epitome of what it means to be a scholar-athlete. You were an easy choice for Phi Beta Kappa as well as a Denison nominee for the Rhodes Scholarship. You have been a star economics major, serving as a tutor in two courses and holding an office in the economics honorary society. Your honors thesis, “The BCS and Competitive Balance in College Football: Are the Davids Catching the Goliaths?,” is a blend of your scholarly and athletic interests, applying economic theory and data analysis to determine whether or not the BCS bowl system promotes or impedes competitive balance among individual schools in NCAA football.

On the track and the gridiron you have participated for an incredible four years in three varsity sports, where you have etched remarkable performances into the record books. In football, you have been team captain and leader, 2-time Team Offensive MVP, ESPN Academic All-District Selection, and holder of the single-game rushing record of 270 yards. You were named Outstanding Scholar Athlete by the College Football Hall of Fame and by the National Football Foundation. In indoor and outdoor track, you have been All NCAC 12 times, and held 5 NCAC championships and 2 Denison records. You have been 2-time NCAC Outstanding Male Sprinter/Hurdler and ESPN Academic All-American Track and Field. In addition, you have held numerous leadership positions, including president of the Denison Student Athlete Advisory Council, and you represented our College in multiple venues at NCAC conference meetings. These accomplishments led this year to your receiving the Denison Distinguished Leadership Award.

Mike, we appreciate, applaud and celebrate your distinguished accomplishments in the past four years at Denison, anticipating that they are a sure harbinger of extraordinary things to come.

Student Achievements:

Academic Support & Enrichment Center - Head Tutor for Economics; Phi Beta Kappa; Dean’s List; Phi Society; Mortar Board (National College Senior Honor Society); Omicron Delta Kappa (National Leadership Honor Society); Omicron Delta Epsilon (International Economics Honorary) - Secretary; Teaching Assistant; Park National Bank Scholarship in Economics; Heritage Scholarship; Varsity Football - Team Captain, Starting Quarterback, Team Offensive Most Valuable Player (seasons), Special Teams Player of the Year, National Football Foundation College Football Hall of Fame Scholar Athlete; Varsity Track & Field (Indoor and Outdoor), NCAC Conference Sprinter/Hurdler of the Year (2 times), 200 Meter School Record Holder (Indoor), 12-time All-Conference Performer; NCAC Student Advisory Council; DSAAC (Denison Student Athletic Advisory Committee) - President, Social Chair, Public Relations Chair; ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American Track & Field.