Over 100 Student-Athletes Set to Participate in Commencement Ceremonies

SPRINGFIELD — A total of 105 current and former Missouri State University student-athletes will participate in the university’s commencement ceremonies Friday at Great Southern Bank Arena on the Springfield campus. These student-athletes have completed — or will be completing — their undergraduate and post-graduate requirements this spring and summer.
 
For the eighth straight year, students who are on track to complete their degrees during the summer term will also be recognized with the spring graduating class.
 
Including 80 student-athletes designated as spring graduates and 25 summer graduates, a total of 105 Bears will be “turning pro” in their various fields of study this week.
 
During the 2024-25 academic year, A total of 133 Missouri State student-athletes will have completed their degrees. That total includes 28 individuals who finished their program requirements in December of 2024 at the conclusion of the fall term.
 
The MSU spring student-athlete class of 80 graduates matches the third-largest on record, while the 133 total for the academic year matches last year for the fifth-highest total of graduating student-athletes.
 
The top commencement classes for Missouri State Athletics are now: May 2021 (82), May 2017 (81), May 2025 (80), May 2023 (79), May 2024 (79), May 2019 (79), May 2020 (75), May 2015 (73), May 2018 (71).
 
Over the last 10 years, MSU commencement exercises have seen 1,299 student-athletes earn degrees, while 518 former Bears have graduated over the past four years alone. This year also marks the 12th consecutive academic year with more than 100 graduating Bears student-athletes.

Football (23), women’s swimming & diving (16) and women’s soccer (11) paced all sports in terms of individual graduates for the 2025 spring and summer class.

 

The 2025 spring and summer commencement list also includes 38 MSU student-athletes graduating with academic honors and 23 earning post-graduate degrees.

 

Ten student-athletes earned the top academic honor of summa cum laude (###) with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.90 or higher, including: Alex Boutin (men’s swimming & diving); Riley Drew (beach volleyball); Maddy Bushnell (volleyball); Mackenzie Chacon (softball); Jenna Anderson (women’s soccer); Iraia Arrue (women’s soccer); Grace O’Keefe (women’s soccer); Ashlie German (women’s swimming & diving); Jordan Drum (women’s track & field); and Juliette Robinson* (women’s tennis). 

 

Ten additional student-athletes compiled GPAs in the 3.75-3.89 range to earn magna cum laude (##) distinction: Lilly Whitley (women’s golf); Kim DeBold (softball); McKenzie Vaughan (softball); Kaeli Benedict (women’s soccer); Brynna Rutherford (women’s soccer); Sophia Hawley (women’s swimming & diving); Amy Henning (women’s tennis); Katie Griffin (women’s track & field); Chris Bedsole* (men’s swimming & diving); Chayenne Chivrac* (women’s golf).

 

Eighteen additional student-athletes finished with GPAs in the 3.50 to 3.74 range to garner cum laude (#) laurels. Becca Bach (beach volleyball) and Juliette Robinson (women’s tennis) will also be recognized for their work with a more rigorous curriculum in Missouri State’s Honors College.

 

All told, Missouri State University will confer a total of 2,804 degrees during ceremonies at Great Southern Bank Arena on Friday, including 1,938 bachelor’s degrees, 736 master’s degrees, 123 doctorate degrees and seven specialist degrees. Beyond the standard expectations, the university will recognize 68 students for their work with a more rigorous curriculum in Missouri State’s Honors College. The university will recognize 202 students who will graduate summa cum laude, 236 who will graduate magna cum laude, and 383 who will graduate cum laude.

 

Ceremonies will take place at 9 a.m., 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. at Great Southern Bank Arena on the Springfield campus.

By sport, here are Missouri State’s spring and summer student-athlete graduates (see key at bottom of page):

Baseball (6): Drake Baldwin General Business)#; Tyler Epstein (M.B.A. Business Administration); Miles Halligan (General Business); Jackson Holmes* (Economics); Dalen Stewart (Entrepreneurship)#; Tyler Tscherter (Marketing Management).

Men’s Basketball (3): Elijah Bridgers* (Exercise & Movement Science); Wesley Oba (Data Analytics Grad Certificate); Allen Udemadu* (Psychology).

Football (23): Thomas Anderson (General Studies); Brock Bagozzi* (General Business); Caden Bolz (M.S. Kinesiology); Reggie Branch* (Criminology and Criminal Justice); ob Clark (M.B.A. Business Administration); Alama Collins (General Studies, Business Principles Undergraduate Certificate); Raveion Harrell (Sports Administration); Brett Harris (General Business); Mark Hutchinson* (Communication Studies); Jakael Jackson* (Cybersecurity, Web Programming Undergraduate Certificate); D’Vontae Key (Public Relations); Hutson Lillibridge (Mechanical Engineering Technology); Celdon Manning (M.B.A. Business Administration, Project Management Grad Certificate); Lance Mason (Financial Planning); Dylan Simmons* (Fintech); Darion Smith (General Studies); Jaquez Smith (General Studies); Ja’Veo Toliver* (General Studies; Eunique Valentine (Psychology); Armon Wallace (Sports Administration); E.J. Williams* (General Studies; Ryan Williams* (General Studies); Jalen Williams* (M.P.H. Public Health, Professional Studies Grad Certificate, Public Health Core Grad Certificate).

Men’s Golf (2): Hampus Wijkstrom (M.B.A. Business Administration); Ludvig Wijkstrom* (Economics).

Men’s Soccer (1): Will Lowry (Psychology, Criminology and Criminal Justice, Criminal Investigation Undergraduate Certificate).

Men’s Swimming & Diving (6): Chris Bedsole* (Cybersecurity)##; Alex Boutin (Supply Chain, Logistics and Operations Management)###; Aiden Dunn (Computer Science, Web Programming Undergraduate Certificate); Reese Hodgins (Fintech); Brek Stukerjurgen (Construction Management); Brunno Suzuki-Tomiyama (Economics)#.

Women’s Basketball (4): Lindsey Byers (Wildlife and Fisheries Biology)#; Khloe Moad* (Criminology and Criminal Justice, Criminal Investigation Undergraduate Certificate); Paige Rocca (M.B.A. Business Administration); Lacy Stokes (Health Services).

Beach Volleyball (5): Becca Bach (Cell & Molecular Biology, Health Sciences Undergraduate Certificate, Molecular Physiology Undergraduate Certificate, Human Genetics and Genomics Undergraduate Certificate)#; Macy Blackburn* (M.P.S. Professional Studies, Sports Management Grad Certificate); Anamarie Colon-Calero (Biology Pre-Teacher Education); Riley Drew (Speech-Language Pathology)###; Olivia Rattler (Public Relations).

Women’s Golf (4): Helena Bel (Mathematics, Physics)#; Chayenne Chivrac* (Sport and Recreation Administration, Sport Administration Undergraduate Certificate)##; Kayla Pfitzner (M.B.A. Business Administration, Marketing Analytics Grad Certificate); Lilly Whitley (Psychology, Mental Health and Spirituality Undergraduate Certificate)##.

Softball (5): Mackenzie Chacon (Speech-Language Pathology)###; Kim DeBold (Computer Animation)##; Kenzie Derryberry (Exercise & Movement Science)#; Chloe Merced (Exercise Science)#; McKenzie Vaughan (Exercise & Movement Science, Health Sciences Undergraduate Certificate)##.

Volleyball (4): Maddy Bushnell (also played Beach VB) (Exercise & Movement Science)###; GG Carvacho (M.S.E.D. Elementary Education, Elementary Curriculum and Instruction Grad Certificate); Josie Halbleib* (Advertising & Promotion)#; Morgan Sprague (also played Beach VB) (Sports Medicine).

Women’s Soccer (8): Jenna Anderson (Financial Planning)###; Iraia Arrue (Cybersecurity, IT Infrastructure)##; Kaeli Benedict (Exercise & Movement Science)##; Ana Paula Fraiz (Communication Studies)#; Eydis Helgadottir Computer Science)#; Julia Kristensen* (Advertising & Promotion); Grace O’Keefe (Mechanical Engineering Technology)###; Brynna Rutherford (Cybersecurity)##.

STUNT (1): Reagan Risner* (Criminology and Criminal Justice, Victim Advocacy Undergraduate Certificate)#

Women’s Swimming & Diving (16): Grace Beahan* (M.H.A. Health Administration); Jordan Boyce (M.S.E.D. Educational Technology, Online Teaching and Learning Grad Certificate); Kelsey Boyce* (M.B.A. Business Administration, Leadership Grad Certificate); Sierra Brannan (M.B.A. Business Administration); Lauren Chaney (Psychology)#; Ashlie German (Supply Chain, Logistics and Operations Management)###; Sophia Hawley (Creative Writing)##; Cabrini Johnson (M.S. Behavior Analysis, Autism Spectrum Disorders Grad Certificate); Paige Lenahan (Drawing); Sira Limbu (Cybersecurity); Samantha Roemer (M.H.A. Health Administration); Kelly Sego (M.B.A. Business Administration); Payton Smith (Exercise & Movement Science, Foundations of Nutrition Undergraduate Certificate); Courtney Stanbury (Supply Chain, Logistics and Operations Management); Jordan Wenner (M.S.E.D. Special Education, Autism Spectrum Disorders Grad Certificate); Yuliya Zubina (M.B.A. Business Administration, Marketing Analytics Grad Certificate).

Women’s Tennis (6): Cristina Flaquer (M.S. Cell & Molecular Biology); Amy Henning (Nutrition and Dietetics, Health Sciences Undergraduate Certificate, Foundations of Nutrition Undergraduate Certificate)##; Mary Houston* (M.S.E.D. English Education); Sandra Lukacova (Marketing Management)#; Kate Miley (Agricultural Finance & Management)#; Juliette Robinson* (Corporate and Investments Finance)###.

Women’s Track & Field (11): Jordan Drum (Exercise & Movement Science)###; Kylie Ghormley (Sports Medicine); Katie Griffin (Marketing Management)##; Meghan Halstead (Entrepreneurship); Mary Margaret Harris (Psychology); Victory Ifah (Sports Medicine, Infant and Toddler Development Undergraduate Certificate); Sophie Karney (Agricultural Communications, Event Planning Undergraduate Certificate); Anna Lombardo (Exercise Science)#; Kamdyn Moody (Actuarial Mathematics)#; Jaide Rose* (M.P.S. Professional Studies, Sports Management Grad Certificate); Grace Spoonhour (Professional Sales)#.

 

#BearGrads

KEY
### Summa Cum Laude

## Magna Cum Laude

# Cum Laude

* Summer term graduate (Summer commencement ceremonies were eliminated in 2018)