University of Oklahoma Athletics
Lepak, Mueller Earn Gautt Postgraduate Awards
June 01, 2011 | Athletics
June 1, 2011
NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma's Brian Lepak and Ellen Mueller were among the 24 Big 12 student-athletes selected to receive 2010-11 Dr. Prentice Gautt Postgraduate Scholarships, the conference announced Wednesday.
The scholarships are named in honor of former OU student-athlete Dr. Prentice Gautt, a Big 12 Conference staff member and student services' pioneer who passed away in March 2005. The award is given to one male and one female at each Big 12 representative institution.
Lepak has finished his career as an offensive lineman on OU's football team that captured the 2010 Big 12 Championship. He made two career starts and played in 18 games in two seasons after transferring from Colorado State.
Mueller completed her four years on OU's women's golf team as one of the program's all-time best. The All-Big 12 golfer set the school record for lowest season stroke average as a junior and lowered it as a senior, finishing in the top 10 in 15 of 45 career collegiate tournaments.
Criteria for the awards includes a cumulative grade point average of 3.500 on a 4.000 scale, participation in at least two years of intercollegiate athletics at the nominee's respective institution and completion of athletics' eligibility. The student-athletes also must graduate from their respective member institutions within 15 months of their selection for a postgraduate scholarship and are expected to enroll in graduate/professional schools within two years of graduation. Three faculty representatives, one senior woman administrator and one director of athletics form the selection panel for the awards.
The list of all-time recipients has grown to 273 since the inception of the league in 1996-97. Additional funding increased scholarship award winners to two per member institution beginning in 2002-03.
To date the Big 12 has provided $1,835,600 for postgraduate education. The individual grants began at $2,500 in 1996-97, were raised to $5,000 in 1999, increased to $6,900 for 2004-05 and climbed to $7,500 in 2006-07.
