CHAMPAIGN — Forty-nine Illinois athletes have been recognized as Big Ten Distinguished Scholars for the 2014-15 school year, the league office announced Wednesday.
Honorees must have had a 3.7 or higher grade-point average for the academic year. A total of 779 athletes from the 14 schools were recognized by the league.
Nine of the 49 honored Illini recorded a 4.0 GPA for the academic year. Athletes earning that distinction, along with their major, are:
— men’s cross-country senior Jannis Toepfer (technology management);
— women’s cross country senior Alyssa Schneider (mathematics);
— women’s gymnastics senior Jordan Naleway (communication and social work);
— swimming and diving seniors Hailey Booth (psychology) and Alison Meng (kinesiology), and junior Jennifer Coady (accountancy);
— men’s track and field sophomore Michael Hyc (accountancy);
— and volleyball senior Anna Dorn (kinesiology) and sophomore Allison Palmer (accountancy).