116 Kentucky Wildcats Set for 2025 May Commencement
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A total of 116 current and former University of Kentucky student-athletes are on track to complete academic requirements this week or in the summer term.
The graduates will take part in the University’s May 2025 Commencement ceremonies Friday and Saturday in Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center (see information here). Adding the 33 student-athletes who graduated in December, UK Athletics is expected to have 149 graduates during the 2024-25 school year.
Included in the graduates are 14 Wildcats who are completing their master’s degrees – Nicole Coryell, Marzia Josephson and Lesley Kiesling from women’s soccer, Hailey Davis and Isabella Magnelli from gymnastics, Erin Lamb from volleyball, McKenzie Bump from softball, Tesa Roberts from women’s track and field, Samuel Duncan and Christopher Nagy from men’s swimming and diving, Elizabeth Stevens from women’s tennis, Jackson Klutznick from men’s golf, Jaden Thompson from rifle and Jack Pendergast from men’s track and field. There is also one doctorate as Simi Akinrinsola is receiving a Doctor of Pharmacy degree.
Seven Wildcats – Austin Schultz, Chase Estep and Mason Moore from baseball, Rajon Rondo from men’s basketball, Chirs Westry from football, Justin Swann from men’s track and field and Riley O’Neill from men’s soccer – are expected to graduate after finishing their undergraduate work as part of UK Athletics’ Post-Eligibility program. Also known as the Cawood Ledford Scholarships, 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 160 Wildcats have returned to graduate through the program.
UK’s graduating class also has excelled in the arenas of competition. While at Kentucky, the graduates have been part of two team NCAA Championships, 13 conference regular-season championships and 10 conference tournament championships. A total of 11 graduates have earned All-America honors while at Kentucky and 17 have gained all-conference recognition.
“We’re proud of another strong class of student-athletes earning bachelor’s and graduate degrees,” said Mitch Barnhart, UK Director of Athletics. “In this era of increased movement of athletes from school to school, it can be more challenging to complete degree requirements, and I’m grateful for the diligence of our students, the support of the coaches and the guidance of the CATS (Center for Academic and Tutorial Services) staff in getting to the academic finish line.”
Wildcat fans will continue to see many of these graduates on their respective fields of play in 2025-26 as numerous student-athletes have remaining eligibility and will return to represent UK while attending graduate school or completing additional undergraduate certifications.
Earlier this year, UK Athletics revealed that the 2024 fall semester marked the department’s 25th consecutive term with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher as Wildcat scholarship student-athletes combined to achieve a GPA of 3.405. Including non-scholarship athletes from all sports, the overall UK Athletics GPA was 3.391. Leading the department, the women’s golf team achieved a remarkable 3.92 GPA, setting the highest mark among all 23 varsity teams and establishing a new department record, while men’s tennis secured third with a 3.721.
UK’s high marks in the fall semester add yet another milestone of academic success for UK student-athletes. Recently, UK had 33 current or former Wildcat student-athletes graduate in 2024 December Commencement. Adding the 122 student-athletes who graduated in May, UK Athletics had 155 graduates during the 2024 calendar year.
Recently, UK tied the school record for its NCAA Graduation Success Rate of 92 percent, two points above the national average of 90 percent.
The NCAA released its Academic Progress Rate report Tuesday, showing that all University of Kentucky sports teams surpassed the NCAA goal score. Sixteen of the 20 UK team scores exceeded the national average for public universities in their sports and UK’s overall APR rate was higher than the overall national average.
Below is the list of expected graduates:
Baseball (18)
Devin Burkes
Evan Byers
Chase Estep *
Simon Gregersen
Cole Hage
Cole Hentschel
Robert Hogan
Dylan Koontz
William Marcy
Nicholas McCay
James McCoy
Shaun Montoya
Mason Moore *
Jackson Nove
Raphael Pelletier
Cooper Robinson
Hayden Smith
Austin Schultz *
Men’s Basketball (8)
Ansley Almonor
Koby Brea
Lamont Butler, Jr.
Andrew Carr
Grant Darbyshire
Kerr Kriisa
Jaxson Robinson
Rajon Rondo *
Football (12)
Trey Dennis
Jantzen Dunn
Fred Farrier, II
Maxwell Hairston
Josaih Hayes
Jordan Lovett
Lucas Padgett
Daveren Rayner
Paul Rodriguez
Jackson Schulz
Demie Sumo-Karngbaye
Chris Westry *
Men’s Golf (2)
Jackson Klutznick – master’s degree
Jansen Preston
Men’s Soccer (3)
Ryan Jack
Casper Mols
Riley O’Neill *
Men’s Swimming and Diving (7)
Max Berg
Nicholas Caruso
Samuel Duncan – master’s degree
Jack Hamilton
Victor Martin Roig
Jackson Mussler
Christopher Nagy – master’s degree
Men’s Tennis (1)
Charlelie Cosnet
Men’s Track and Field (9)
Donsten Brown
Luke Brown
Logan Coles
Brayden Jackson
Alexander Justus
Brandon Miller
Jack Pendergast – master’s degree
Jackson Watts
Justin Swann *
Rifle (3)
Allison Buesseler
Tori Kopelen
Jaden Thompson – master’s degree
STUNT (5)
Aisling Frost
Katherine Larson
Chloe Moxley
Laila White
Alexus Womack
Women’s Golf (1)
Marta Lopez Echevarria
Gymnastics (6)
Hailey Davis – master’s degree
Skylar Killough-Wilhelm
Isabella Magnelli – master’s degree
Jillian Procasky
Anna Riegert
Makenzie Wilson
Women’s Soccer (8)
Kennedy Chambers
Nicole Coryell – master’s degree
Dana Dahm
Marzia Josephson – master’s degree
Lesley Kiesling – master’s degree
Kaile Alford
Gabrielle Ballew
Gabriella Johnson
Softball (4)
McKenzie Bump – master’s degree
Alexia Lacatena
Grace Lorsung
Hallie Mitchell
Women’s Swimming and Diving (5)
Victoria Buerger
Kaelan Daly
Abigail Devereaux
Olivia Mendenhall
Madeline Welborn
Women’s Tennis (5)
Elizabeth Eades
Lidia Gonzalez Garcia
Zoe Hammond
Eleanor Myers
Elizabeth Stevens – master’s degree
Women’s Track and Field (15)
Simi Akinrinsola – Doctor of Pharmacy
Hannah Douglas
Ainsley Edwards
Sophie Galloway
Alexis Glasco
Alysia Johnson
Amya Livingston
Phoebe McCowan
Ariel Pedigo
Victoria Perrow
Payton Phillips
Tesa Roberts – master’s degree
Mollie Roden
Jenna Schwinghamer
Juliann Williams
Volleyball (4)
Eleanor Beavin
Lane Jenkins
Erin Lamb – master’s degree
Megan Wilson
# denotes former student-athlete participated in Cawood Ledford Degree Completion Program
