Baylor soccer’s Lindsay Burns and baseball’s Richard Cunningham were named recipients of the Big 12’s Dr. Prentice Gautt Postgraduate Scholarship, the league announced Tuesday. Burns and Cunningham are two of the 20 honorees throughout the league as each school was given two scholarships.
Burns was outstanding in the classroom and on the field in her four season on the Baylor soccer team. The psychology major from Yakima, Washington was a three-time Academic All-Big 12 choice and was named CoSIDA Academic All-District VII second team in 2015, in addition to being a six-time Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll member and Baylor Dean’s List honoree.
On the field, she was a four-year starter with 66 starts in 79 career matches played. She tallied 6,470 minutes played along with 11 points on four goals and three assists as BU’s best man-marking defender, typically shutting down each opposing team’s top scoring threat on a consistent basis.
Cunningham has excelled on the field and in his studies in his three seasons with Baylor baseball. The finance major from Austin, Texas is a two-time Academic All-Big 12 first team choice, four-time Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll member and Baylor Dean’s List honoree.
After redshirting in his first year on campus, Cunningham has been a steady glove and bat in center field. In his two seasons, he has been the starting center fielder (96 starts in 100 games) with a career .296 batting average, 70 runs, 103 hits, 24 doubles, eight triples, 10 home runs, 55 RBI, 30 walks and five steals along with 17 outfield assists and a .981 fielding percentage. He was named a 2017 All-Big 12 honorable mention.
The scholarships are named in honor of the late Dr. Prentice Gautt, a former Big 12 Conference staff member and student services' pioneer who passed away in March 2005. The list of all-time recipients has grown to 401 since the inception of the league in 1996-97. Starting in 2002-03, additional funding increased scholarship award winners to two per member institution.
To date the Big 12 has provided over $2.9 million for postgraduate education. The individual grants began at $2,500 in 1996-97, were raised to $5,000 in 1999 and increased to $6,900 for 2004-05. The awards climbed to $7,500 in 2006-07, moved to $9,000 in 2011-12 and are now at $10,000 since 2013-14.
Criteria for the awards includes a cumulative grade point average of 3.200 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.
Previous Baylor Dr. Prentice Gautt Postgraduate Scholarship Winners
2015-16 - John Ryan Hardy (CC/T&F), Raena Rhone (T&F)
2014-15 - Troy Baker (FB), Kaitlyn Thumann (SB)
2013-14 - Nate Goodwin (BB), Kat Ludlow (SOC)
2012-13 - Nick Florence (FB), Kathy Shelton (SB)
2011-12 - Sydney Wilson (SB), Jon Ringenberg (BB)
2010-11 - Tiffany Wesley (SB), Logan Roberts (T&F/CC)
2009-10 - Gianna Quintana (SOC), Dominik Mueller (MTennis)
2008-09 - Lyndsy Bedell (CC/T&F), Zach Dillon (BB)
2007-08 - Kristen Schramek (VB), Tim Jackson (BB)
2006-07 - Chelsi Lake (SB), Irwin Price (CC)
2005-06 - Phil Tran (FB), Sara Hausner (SB)
2004-05 - Stephen Sepulveda (FB), Lori Viggiano (SOC)
2003-04 - John Martin (FB), Megan McCoin (CC/T&F)
2002-03 - Ross Bennett (BB), Whitney Barrett (SOC)
2001-02 - Tim Hartson (BB), Lanie Millar (CC/T&F)
2000-01 - Kerry O'Bric (T&F), Mark Williams (MTennis)
1997-98 - Douglas Maziur (T&F)
