22 Wildcats to Participate in December Commencement
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Twenty-two current and former Wildcat student-athletes from nine UK teams are on track to graduate Friday.
The University of Kentucky’s December Commencement ceremonies take place this Friday. Adding in the 71 student-athletes who graduated in May, UK Athletics is expected to have 93 graduates during the 2019 calendar year alone.
The expected graduates include two members of the Kentucky volleyball team that just won its third straight Southeastern Conference championship and advanced to the Sweet 16. Eight members of the Belk Bowl-bound Kentucky football team are also expected to graduate.
Former football player Martavius Neloms is also expected to graduate after returning to finish his undergraduate work as part of UK Athletics’ Post-Eligibility Program. Neloms completed his eligibility in 2012.
Through the Post-Eligibility Program, UK Athletics pays for tuition and books for scholarship student-athletes who return to school after completing their eligibility. Since its inception in 1989, more than 150 Wildcats have returned to graduate through the program.
Below is the complete list of expected graduates:
Martavius Neloms – Football
Jordan Griffin – Football
Luke Fortner – Football
Drake Jackson – Football
Landon Young – Football
Elijah Barnett – Football
Kash Daniel – Football
Max Duffy – Football
Grant McKinniss – Football
Leonie Bettel – Women’s Golf
Alaina Kwan – Gymnastics
Evangeline Soucie – Women’s Soccer
Keyarash Namjoupanah – Men’s Soccer
Sabrina Haines – Women’s Basketball
Shane Anderson – Swimming & Diving
Matthew Beach – Swimming & Diving
David Dingess – Swimming & Diving
Austin Haney – Swimming & Diving
Joshua Swart – Swimming & Diving
Travis Riley – Track & Field
Caitlyn Cooper – Volleyball
Gabby Curry – Volleyball
Graduation marks yet another milestone of academic success for UK student-athletes. Guided by UK Athletics’ Student-Athlete Experience Division, Wildcat student-athletes have achieved a cumulative grade-point average of better than 3.0 in 14 consecutive semesters, with grades for the fall semester set to be finalized next week. In October, UK student-athletes broke one school record and tied another in the NCAA’s Graduation Success Rate and Federal Graduation Rate.
