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ACC Unveils 2020 Postgraduate Scholarship Recipients
2/21/2020 11:00:00 AM | Fencing, Men's Soccer, Swimming & Diving, Athletics
ACC Unveils 2020 Postgraduate Scholarship Recipients
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Atlantic Coast Conference announced Friday a list of 50 student-athletes who have been selected as 2020 Weaver-James-Corrigan Postgraduate Scholarship Award recipients.
This year's list includes three student-athletes who will also receive the Thacker Award and eight student-athletes who plan to pursue professional careers in their chosen sports and were named honorary recipients.
Duke's Brittany Aveni, Eoin Gronningsater and Nathaniel Hernandez were named Weaver-James-Corrigan Award recipients while Daniele Proch was an honorary selection.
The Weaver-James-Corrigan and Jim and Pat Thacker postgraduate scholarships are awarded to selected student-athletes who intend to pursue a graduate degree following completion of their undergraduate requirements. Each recipient will receive $6,000 toward his or her graduate education. Those honored have performed with distinction in both the classroom and their respective sport, while demonstrating exemplary conduct in the community.
Aveni is following up a 2019 campaign that saw her earn All-ACC First Team honors in the indoor 4x400m relay and second team recognition in the outdoor 4x400m relay. The senior from Geneva, Ohio, has been one of Duke's top performers this indoor season, recording top-five times in program history in the women's 200m (fifth, 24.07), 300m (third, 38.53) and 400m (fourth, 43.69). Aveni helped the 4x400m relay team qualify for the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships, where they posted the best finish by a Blue Devil quad in history at 3:32.26 – earning her Second Team All-America honors in the process. Off the track, she was named All-ACC Academic in both the indoor and outdoor seasons as a junior, All-ACC Academic for outdoor as a sophomore and ACC Academic Honor Roll as a freshman.
A two-time Duke fencing captain and two-time All-American, Gronningsater has seen both athletic and academic success throughout his four years as a Blue Devil. In 2019, the Brooklyn, N.Y., native became the first Blue Devil male foilist to capture back-to-back All-America accolades since Dorian Cohen (2010-11) and was tabbed to the CoSIDA Academic All-District III Men's At-Large Team. With an outstanding 177-35 (.835) career record to date, Gronningsater has qualified for the last three NCAA Championships and the NCAA Mid-Atlantic/South Regional, was named ACC Fencer of the Year in 2018 and the ACC Most Valuable Player for helping lead the Blue Devil men to their first ACC team title.
A two-time All-America honoree, Hernandez will graduate from Duke having left his mark on the Duke diving program. The native of Southlake, Texas, was just the third male diver to receive First Team All-America honors, doing so in the one-meter event at the 2019 NCAA Championships. The year before, Hernandez gathered honorable mention All-America recognition in on the platform at the 2018 NCAA Championships. He sits second in the Duke record books in all three diving events, only behind Olympian Nick McCrory. Out of the pool, Hernandez has garnered multiple accolades- two-time First Team CSCAA Scholar All-America, three-time All-ACC Academic and three-time ACC Academic Honor Roll selection. Hernandez enters postseason meets having already qualified for NCAA Zones.
A native of Riva Del Garda, Italy, Proch spearheaded Duke's offense over the course of his three seasons with the Blue Devils. He garnered All-America second team honors in 2018 and also was named a Hermann Trophy semifinalist. This past season, Proch was the undisputed leader on the field, leading the team with 12 goals and five assists for 29 points. He totaled 41 percent of the team's 29 goals and 33 percent of Duke's 87 points on the year. Proch was an excellent student, becoming just the third Blue Devil to earn Academic All-America first team honors. Proch recently signed a contract with local United Soccer League club North Carolina FC.
The student-athletes will be honored at the annual Cone Health ACC Postgraduate Scholarship Luncheon presented by ESPN on Wednesday, April 8. The luncheon will be hosted by the Nat Greene Kiwanis Club at the Sheraton Four Seasons Guilford Ballroom in Greensboro, N.C.
#GoDuke
This year's list includes three student-athletes who will also receive the Thacker Award and eight student-athletes who plan to pursue professional careers in their chosen sports and were named honorary recipients.
Duke's Brittany Aveni, Eoin Gronningsater and Nathaniel Hernandez were named Weaver-James-Corrigan Award recipients while Daniele Proch was an honorary selection.
The Weaver-James-Corrigan and Jim and Pat Thacker postgraduate scholarships are awarded to selected student-athletes who intend to pursue a graduate degree following completion of their undergraduate requirements. Each recipient will receive $6,000 toward his or her graduate education. Those honored have performed with distinction in both the classroom and their respective sport, while demonstrating exemplary conduct in the community.
Aveni is following up a 2019 campaign that saw her earn All-ACC First Team honors in the indoor 4x400m relay and second team recognition in the outdoor 4x400m relay. The senior from Geneva, Ohio, has been one of Duke's top performers this indoor season, recording top-five times in program history in the women's 200m (fifth, 24.07), 300m (third, 38.53) and 400m (fourth, 43.69). Aveni helped the 4x400m relay team qualify for the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships, where they posted the best finish by a Blue Devil quad in history at 3:32.26 – earning her Second Team All-America honors in the process. Off the track, she was named All-ACC Academic in both the indoor and outdoor seasons as a junior, All-ACC Academic for outdoor as a sophomore and ACC Academic Honor Roll as a freshman.
A two-time Duke fencing captain and two-time All-American, Gronningsater has seen both athletic and academic success throughout his four years as a Blue Devil. In 2019, the Brooklyn, N.Y., native became the first Blue Devil male foilist to capture back-to-back All-America accolades since Dorian Cohen (2010-11) and was tabbed to the CoSIDA Academic All-District III Men's At-Large Team. With an outstanding 177-35 (.835) career record to date, Gronningsater has qualified for the last three NCAA Championships and the NCAA Mid-Atlantic/South Regional, was named ACC Fencer of the Year in 2018 and the ACC Most Valuable Player for helping lead the Blue Devil men to their first ACC team title.
A two-time All-America honoree, Hernandez will graduate from Duke having left his mark on the Duke diving program. The native of Southlake, Texas, was just the third male diver to receive First Team All-America honors, doing so in the one-meter event at the 2019 NCAA Championships. The year before, Hernandez gathered honorable mention All-America recognition in on the platform at the 2018 NCAA Championships. He sits second in the Duke record books in all three diving events, only behind Olympian Nick McCrory. Out of the pool, Hernandez has garnered multiple accolades- two-time First Team CSCAA Scholar All-America, three-time All-ACC Academic and three-time ACC Academic Honor Roll selection. Hernandez enters postseason meets having already qualified for NCAA Zones.
A native of Riva Del Garda, Italy, Proch spearheaded Duke's offense over the course of his three seasons with the Blue Devils. He garnered All-America second team honors in 2018 and also was named a Hermann Trophy semifinalist. This past season, Proch was the undisputed leader on the field, leading the team with 12 goals and five assists for 29 points. He totaled 41 percent of the team's 29 goals and 33 percent of Duke's 87 points on the year. Proch was an excellent student, becoming just the third Blue Devil to earn Academic All-America first team honors. Proch recently signed a contract with local United Soccer League club North Carolina FC.
The student-athletes will be honored at the annual Cone Health ACC Postgraduate Scholarship Luncheon presented by ESPN on Wednesday, April 8. The luncheon will be hosted by the Nat Greene Kiwanis Club at the Sheraton Four Seasons Guilford Ballroom in Greensboro, N.C.
#GoDuke
Players Mentioned
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