MEADVILLE, Pa. – Seniors Jeramie Parker and Robert Carlisle were two of 29 male athletes across all NCAA divisions to be awarded NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships as announced by the National Collegiate Association of Athletics on Monday. Allegheny's dual selection marked the first time in school history that two athletes have received the highly coveted one-time grant in the same academic year.
Carlisle's award comes on the heels of an outstanding season on the gridiron in which he helped lead Allegheny football to its 25th winning campaign in 28 seasons. The Gators finished 7-3 in 2010 while Carlisle earned First Team All-Conference accolades after closing the slate as the league's top tight end. The senior from Garrettsville, Ohio, was a four-time Alden Scholar and his prowess as a distinguished student-athlete resulted in ESPN/CoSIDA First Team Academic All-America honors.
Carlisle, who maintains a 3.95 cumulative grade-point average, is planning to attend the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine in the fall. His collegiate volunteer and service activities include a 2010 experiential learning trip to Nicaragua to assist local families with construction and agricultural developments; four years as a fundraiser and team captain for the Relay for Life; and a position at Robinson Memorial Hospital in Ravenna, Ohio as a patient care technician. In 2010, Carlisle was presented with the Knights Prize, a leadership award given to a junior man or woman at Allegheny who is distinctly outstanding in activities, scholarship, and service to the college.
"We are extremely proud of Rob being awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship,” announced head coach Mark Matlak. “He has excelled in our program on and off the field during his four years with us. Receiving this award caps off a great career representing Allegheny College and our Football program.”
Parker, who hails from Middletown, Md., became just the second Allegheny runner to net All-America honors at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in back-to-back seasons after finishing 13th overall in 2010. A three-time All-Conference performer, Parker was named 2009 NCAC Runner of the Year, while he helped guide the Gators to four straight conference titles during his cross country career. In 2009, he led Allegheny to a third-place finish at the NCAA Championships, and in 2010, he helped push the program to its highest national ranking in school history (No. 2).
Parker, who is a three-time Alden Scholar, is set to graduate in June with a cumulative GPA of 3.75. A political science major, Parker's focus on policy studies and globalization have led to internships with the Department of Defense (DoD) in the field of analytic intelligence, and the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), a world renowned think tank headquartered in London. For the past two summers, his time with the DoD focused on work in the office of Defense Security Service (DSS) in the branch of Foreign Ownership, Control or Influence (FOCI). In addition, Parker has completed numerous service activities to include volunteer efforts in local soup kitchens and the Meadville Best Buddies program.
The NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship was created in 1964 to promote and encourage postgraduate education by rewarding the Association's most accomplished student-athletes through their participation in NCAA championship and/or emerging sports. The scholarships are awarded to student-athletes who excel academically and athletically and are in their final year of intercollegiate athletics competition. The one-time grants of $7,500 each are awarded for fall, winter and spring sports. The scholarships are one-time, non-renewable grants.
Allegheny was one of three institutions to earn two scholarships in the fall, joining prestigious academic powers Stanford University and Augustana College. Carlisle was one of 11 football players across all NCAA divisions cited while Parker was one of seven cross country athletes.
Last spring, Monica Schaffer '10 became the first women's soccer player at Allegheny to receive an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. Prior to her award, the college's last recipient was swimmer Benjamin Whittam in 2002.
