BATON ROUGE — National champions dot the list of 55 LSU student-athletes who receive degrees at the spring commencement exercises Friday held on the LSU Campus.
Among those headlining the list is Rick Greene, graduating in communication studies. Greene was a top relief pitcher on LSU’s first national championship baseball team in 1991 who also played several years of professional baseball. He is one of four baseball players who received a degree on Friday.
Gymnast Nicole Arnstad earned an NCAA individual national championship for the Tigers in the floor exercise in 2002 and the All-America graduates in advertising. She is one of two former gymnasts to pick up a degree.
The 2001 United States Amateur Champion, Meredith Duncan, an All-American on the LSU women’s golf team received her degree in kinesiology, while Jamie Watkins, a six-time NCAA All-American and the 2000 NCAA 1-Meter Diving Champion, graduates in general studies. A total of 12 swimmers and divers received degrees.
Men’s tennis All-American Michal Chmela received his master’s degree in business administration. Chmela played on LSU’s two tennis NCAA Final Four teams and was ranked as the No. 1 singles player in the nation.
Football has two strong academic and athletic graduates among its six graduates this spring in Bradie James and Rodney Reed. James, graduating in sociology, earned All-America honors on the field and was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys, while also being honored as a National-Scholar Athlete. Reed, graduating with honors in accounting is still with the football program at LSU after three-years starting at offensive tackle, including last year when he was a first-team Academic All-America.
Women’s basketball’s Ke-Ke Tardy, who helped the Tigers to the 2003 SEC Tournament title and the NCAA Elite 8 in 2003, received her degree in sociology one month after being drafted by the WNBA’s San Antonio Silver Stars.
A group of 14 student-athletes from the nationally recognized track and field program graduated on Friday, highlighted by Alleyne Francique who won NCAA Indoor titles in the 400-meter dash and the 1,600-meter relay. Long and triple jumper Marcus Thomas, who is one of nine Tigers with at least seven All-America honors, graduated with a degree in kinesiology.
Baseball outfielder Billy McBride, who played in 35 games during LSU’s run to the 2000 College World Series Championship, received his degree in general studies.
The complete list of graduates for the spring semester:
ART & DESIGN – Reed Robelot (Swimming & diving), Graphic Design
ARTS & SCIENCES – Matthew Elder (Swimming & diving), General Studies; Alleyne Francique (Track & Field), General Studies; Daniel Gagliano (Track & Field), General Studies; Rick Green (Baseball), Communication Studies; Bradie James (Football), Sociology; Jason Laine (Track & Field), General Studies; Billy McBride (Baseball), General Studies; Elice Parker (Football), General Studies; Bo Pettit (Baseball) General Studies; Sandra Smith (Track & Field) General Studies; Kesha Tardy (Basketball), Sociology; Jamie Watkins (Swimming & diving), General Studies; Jason Wilson (Basketball) General Studies.
BASIC SCIENCES – Chad Vaught (Baseball), Biological Sciences.
BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION – James Courtenay (Football), Accounting; Lindsey Daigle (Track & Field), Marketing (Honor Graduate); Steve Gluck (Swimming & diving), Finance; Johanna Hill (Swimming & diving), Management; John Humphries (Golf), Marketing; Martin Latz (Swimming & diving), Info. Systems and Decision Sciences; Ashley Mitnick (Soccer), Marketing; John Gray Pou (Tennis), General Business; Rodney Reed (Football), Accounting (Honor Graduate); Susan Schepens (Swimming & diving), Marketing; Nicholas Tarantino (Swimming & diving), Accounting; Marcus Whitty (Football), Marketing.
EDUCATION – Carson Ben Broussard (Track & Field), Kinesiology; Meghan Claney (Swimming & diving), Elementary Education; Michelle Coryell (Swimming & diving), Kinesiology (Honor Graduate); Alonzo Diodene (Football), Kinesiology; Meredith Duncan (Golf), Kinesiology; Ryan Gallup (Track & Field), Kinesiology); Candice Gonzalez (Track & Field), Kinesiology (Honor Graduate); Jenny Greco (Volleyball), Kinesiology; Jennifer Hampton (Volleyball), Kinesiology; Mandy Heintz (Soccer), Kinesiology; Kenneith Henry (Track & Field), Kinesiology; Leigh McGovern (Soccer), Kinesiology (Honor Graduate); Francisco Nieto Gonzalez (Track & Field), Kinesiology; Bonnie Otillio (Soccer), Elementary Education (Honor Graduate); Trena Peel (Softball), Kinesiology; Marcus Thomas (Track & Field), Kinesiology: Rachet Vogt (Volleyball), Kinesiology.
ENGINEERING – Brandon Guillory (Track & Field), Chemical Engineering; Cordelle Seals (Track & Field), Mechanical Engineering.
MASS COMMUNICATION – Nicole Arnstad (Gymnastics), Advertising; Rebecca Lightsey-Belcher (Gymnastics), Electronic Media.
MUSIC & DRAMATIC ARTS – Geoffrey Grice (Swimming & diving), Music.
GRADUATE SCHOOL – Michal Chmela (Tennis), Business Administration; Barbara Gorst (Swimming & diving), Kinesiology; Lauren O’Connor (Volleyball), Communications Disorders; Catherine Ranken (Soccer), Business Administration; Amanda Rice (Tennis), Kinesiology; John Woosley (Track & Field), Information Systems and Decision Sciences.