University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Three Panthers Earn ACC Postgraduate Scholarship Awards
3/24/2021 11:00:00 AM | Football, General, Volleyball
Christodoulou, Lund, Ndee Recognized by Atlantic Coast Conference
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Three student-athletes from the University of Pittsburgh have been selected as 2021 ACC Postgraduate Scholarship Award recipients, the league announced Wednesday. The ACC honored 52 student athletes across the conference with the award.
Those honored have performed with distinction in both the classroom and their respective sport, while demonstrating exemplary conduct in the community.
Kirk Christodoulou, a football graduate, was selected as an honorary recipient. Volleyball captains Kayla Lund and Chinaza Ndee each received Weaver-James-Corrigan and Jim and Pat Thacker postgraduate scholarships, amounting to $6,000 toward their respective graduate educations.
KIRK CHRISTODOULOU – FOOTBALL – FINANCE
A three-year starting punter for the Pitt football team, Christodoulou enters the 2021 season as an All-America and Ray Guy Award candidate after developing into one of the nation's top punters last fall. Christodoulou's punting average has progressed from 41.4 as a freshman in 2018 to 42.9 in 2019 to 44.7 in 2020. This past season, Christodoulou helped the Panthers post a program-record net punting average of 41.94 yards, which resulted in him earning Pro Football Focus second team All-America honors. Off the field, the Melbourne, Australia, native has also excelled, garnering All-ACC Academic Team recognition after each of his three seasons as a starter. He graduated early from the University of Pittsburgh with a bachelor's degree in finance and is now enrolled in Pitt's Katz Graduate School of Business.
KAYLA LUND – VOLLEYBALL – PSYCHOLOGY AND COMMUNICATION
A two-time American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America honoree, Lund has reached the pinnacle of Pitt volleyball history in terms of accolades. As the program's first ACC Player of the Year (2019), Lund tied Pitt's highest honors ever earned by being named to the 2019 AVCA All-America Second Team as a junior. She is on pace for a stellar senior season, as she has recorded six double-doubles and leads the team in kills, digs and service aces. In addition to her exemplary performance on the court, Lund is also a two-time member of the All-ACC Academic Team (2018, 2019). In December she earned a bachelor's degree in communication and psychology with a 3.5 cumulative GPA.
CHINAZA NDEE – VOLLEYBALL – NATURAL SCIENCES AND PSYCHOLOGY
A Top 30 candidate for the 2020-21 Senior CLASS Award, Ndee exemplifies what it means to be a well-rounded student-athlete. Since her arrival at the University of Pittsburgh in 2017, Ndee has committed herself to her dream of attending medical school following her undergraduate career. While maintaining a 3.6 cumulative grade point average as a double major in natural sciences and psychology, Ndee also pursued a certificate in conceptual foundations of medicine. Over the last four years, she has earned AVCA All-America Honorable Mention honors (2019) in addition to two selections to the All-ACC Academic Team (2017, 2019).
PITT'S ALL-TIME ACC POSTGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP AWARDEES
The following student-athletes will be honored as 2021 ACC Postgraduate Scholars:
Name, Institution, Sport, Major
Zion Johnson, Boston College, Football, Computer Science
Clare Naughton, Boston College, Volleyball, Political Science
Lauren White, Boston College, Women's Track and Field, International Studies
Marissa Guimbarda, Clemson, Softball, Health Science
Courtney Jones, Clemson, Women's Soccer, Psychology
Grace Mattimore, Clemson, Softball, Criminal Justice
RaKavius Chambers, Duke, Football, Biology
Caroline Olsen, Duke, Rowing, IDM: Neuroscience & Public Policy
Meible Chi, Duke, Women's Tennis, Evolutionary Anthropology
Trey Cunningham, Florida State, Men's Track and Field, Communications - Public Relations
Joshua Kaindoh, Florida State, Football, Sociology
Danielle Morgan, Florida State, Softball, Sport Management
Hugh Chapman, Georgia Tech, Baseball, Business Administration
Kierra Fletcher, Georgia Tech, Women's Basketball, History, Technology, and Society
Makenli Forrest, Louisville, Women's Track and Field, Health and Human Performance
Mercedes Pastor, Louisville, Field Hockey, Industrial Engineering
Piper Roe, Louisville, Volleyball, Business
Renate Grimstad, Miami, Women's Golf, Sports Administration
Sydney Knapp, Miami, Women's Swimming and Diving, Double Major in Communication Studies & International Studies
Christopher Gray, North Carolina, Men's Lacrosse, Management and Society
Rachel Jones, North Carolina, Women's Soccer, Public Policy
Ally Mastroianni, North Carolina, Women's Lacrosse, Media & Journalism: Advertising & Public Relations; Communication Studies
Kathleen Moore, NC State, Women's Swimming and Diving, Industrial Engineering
Makayla Sargent, NC State, Women's Swimming and Diving, Psychology
Stefani Deschner, Notre Dame, Women's Fencing, Pre-professional Studies
Yared Nuguse, Notre Dame, Men's Track and Field, Biochemistry
Kelly Straub, Notre Dame, Women's Swimming and Diving, Pre-professional studies
Kayla Lund, Pittsburgh, Volleyball, Psychology and Communication
Chinaza Ndee, Pittsburgh, Volleyball, Natural Sciences and Psychology
Josephine Kiesel, Syracuse, Rowing, Sport Management
Stephen Rehfuss, Syracuse, Men's Lacrosse, Communication and Rhetorical Studies
Kristen Siermachesky, Syracuse, Women's Ice Hockey, Sport Management
Paige Madden, Virginia, Women's Swimming and Diving, Kinesiology
Rachel Robinson, Virginia, Field Hockey, Kinesiology
Nika Kozar, Virginia Tech, Women's Tennis, Criminology/Sociology
Darby Trull, Virginia Tech, Softball, Consumer Studies
Regan Westwood, Virginia Tech, Women's Swimming and Diving, Smart and Sustainable Cities/ Environmental Policy and Planning
Hannah Betfort, Wake Forest, Women's Soccer, Health and Exercise Science
Bar Tzuf Botzer, Wake Forest, Men's Tennis, Finance
Zachary Tom, Wake Forest, Football, Business Enterprise Management
Jim & Pat Thacker Scholarship Recipients
Name, Institution, Sport, Major
Catriona MacGregor, Georgia Tech, Women's Swimming and Diving, Mechanical Engineering
Debbie Ajagbe, Miami, Women's Track and Field, Engineering
Leon Krapf, NC State, Men's Soccer, Business Administration
Honorary Postgraduate Scholarship Nominees
Name, Institution, Sport, Major
William Nottingham, Clemson, Men's Golf, Management
Michael Rothenberg, Duke, Baseball, Political Science
Luke Waddell, Georgia Tech, Baseball, Business Administration
Nikolina Jovic, Louisville, Women's Tennis, Business Marketing
Elizaveta Lukianova, Miami, Volleyball, Management and Marketing
Maddie Howe, Notre Dame, Women's Lacrosse, Finance
Kirk Christodoulou, Pittsburgh, Football, Finance
Wabissa Bede, Virginia Tech, Men's Basketball, Leadership Studies
Emilia Migliaccio, Wake Forest, Women's Golf, Communication
About the Weaver-James-Corrigan Award
The Weaver-James-Corrigan Award is named in honor of the late Jim Weaver, Bob James, and Gene Corrigan, the first three ACC commissioners. The league's first commissioner, James H. Weaver, served the conference from 1954-70 after a stint as the Director of Athletics at Wake Forest. His early leadership and uncompromising integrity are largely responsible for the excellent reputation enjoyed by the ACC today.
Robert C. James, a former Maryland football player, was named commissioner in 1971 and served in that capacity for 16 years. During his tenure, the league continued to grow in stature and became recognized as a national leader in athletics and academics, winning 23 national championships and maintaining standards of excellence in the classroom.
Eugene F. Corrigan assumed his role as the third full-time commissioner on September 1, 1987 and served until August of 1997. During Corrigan's tenure, ACC schools captured 30 NCAA championships and two national football titles.
Prior to 1994, the Weaver-James postgraduate scholarships were awarded as separate honors, including the Jim Weaver Award, the Marie James Award and the Bob James Award.
About the Thacker Award
The Thacker Award, which originated in 2005, is awarded in honor of the late Jim and Pat Thacker of Charlotte, North Carolina. Jim Thacker was the primary play-by-play announcer for the ACC's first television network. Recipients of the award must demonstrate outstanding performance both in athletic competition and in the classroom and intend to further their education through postgraduate studies at an ACC institution.
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Those honored have performed with distinction in both the classroom and their respective sport, while demonstrating exemplary conduct in the community.
Kirk Christodoulou, a football graduate, was selected as an honorary recipient. Volleyball captains Kayla Lund and Chinaza Ndee each received Weaver-James-Corrigan and Jim and Pat Thacker postgraduate scholarships, amounting to $6,000 toward their respective graduate educations.
KIRK CHRISTODOULOU – FOOTBALL – FINANCE
A three-year starting punter for the Pitt football team, Christodoulou enters the 2021 season as an All-America and Ray Guy Award candidate after developing into one of the nation's top punters last fall. Christodoulou's punting average has progressed from 41.4 as a freshman in 2018 to 42.9 in 2019 to 44.7 in 2020. This past season, Christodoulou helped the Panthers post a program-record net punting average of 41.94 yards, which resulted in him earning Pro Football Focus second team All-America honors. Off the field, the Melbourne, Australia, native has also excelled, garnering All-ACC Academic Team recognition after each of his three seasons as a starter. He graduated early from the University of Pittsburgh with a bachelor's degree in finance and is now enrolled in Pitt's Katz Graduate School of Business.
KAYLA LUND – VOLLEYBALL – PSYCHOLOGY AND COMMUNICATION
A two-time American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America honoree, Lund has reached the pinnacle of Pitt volleyball history in terms of accolades. As the program's first ACC Player of the Year (2019), Lund tied Pitt's highest honors ever earned by being named to the 2019 AVCA All-America Second Team as a junior. She is on pace for a stellar senior season, as she has recorded six double-doubles and leads the team in kills, digs and service aces. In addition to her exemplary performance on the court, Lund is also a two-time member of the All-ACC Academic Team (2018, 2019). In December she earned a bachelor's degree in communication and psychology with a 3.5 cumulative GPA.
CHINAZA NDEE – VOLLEYBALL – NATURAL SCIENCES AND PSYCHOLOGY
A Top 30 candidate for the 2020-21 Senior CLASS Award, Ndee exemplifies what it means to be a well-rounded student-athlete. Since her arrival at the University of Pittsburgh in 2017, Ndee has committed herself to her dream of attending medical school following her undergraduate career. While maintaining a 3.6 cumulative grade point average as a double major in natural sciences and psychology, Ndee also pursued a certificate in conceptual foundations of medicine. Over the last four years, she has earned AVCA All-America Honorable Mention honors (2019) in addition to two selections to the All-ACC Academic Team (2017, 2019).
PITT'S ALL-TIME ACC POSTGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP AWARDEES
- 2021 – Kirk Christodoulou (Football), Kayla Lund (Volleyball), Chinaza Ndee (Volleyball)
- 2020 - Stephanie Williams (Volleyball), Taylor Middleton (Track & Field)
- 2019 - Kamalani Akeo (Volleyball), Olivia Gray (Softball) Brian Lovasik (Men's Swimming & Diving)
- 2018 - Andin Fosam (Women's Track & Field), Meme Sharp (Women's Swimming & Diving), Ryan Winslow (Football)
- 2017 - Kinga Cichowska (Women's Swimming & Diving), Dontez Ford (Football), Taylor Francis (Women's Soccer)
- 2016 - Lindsay Offutt (Gymnastics), Amanda Orchard (Volleyball), Artie Rowell (Football)
- 2015 - Brianna Kiesel (Women's Basketball), Tyler Wilps (Wrestling), Cameron Wright (Men's Basketball)
- 2014 - Ashley Corum (Women's Track & Field), Jocelyn Lu (Women's Tennis), Katie O'Rourke (Gymnastics)
The following student-athletes will be honored as 2021 ACC Postgraduate Scholars:
Name, Institution, Sport, Major
Zion Johnson, Boston College, Football, Computer Science
Clare Naughton, Boston College, Volleyball, Political Science
Lauren White, Boston College, Women's Track and Field, International Studies
Marissa Guimbarda, Clemson, Softball, Health Science
Courtney Jones, Clemson, Women's Soccer, Psychology
Grace Mattimore, Clemson, Softball, Criminal Justice
RaKavius Chambers, Duke, Football, Biology
Caroline Olsen, Duke, Rowing, IDM: Neuroscience & Public Policy
Meible Chi, Duke, Women's Tennis, Evolutionary Anthropology
Trey Cunningham, Florida State, Men's Track and Field, Communications - Public Relations
Joshua Kaindoh, Florida State, Football, Sociology
Danielle Morgan, Florida State, Softball, Sport Management
Hugh Chapman, Georgia Tech, Baseball, Business Administration
Kierra Fletcher, Georgia Tech, Women's Basketball, History, Technology, and Society
Makenli Forrest, Louisville, Women's Track and Field, Health and Human Performance
Mercedes Pastor, Louisville, Field Hockey, Industrial Engineering
Piper Roe, Louisville, Volleyball, Business
Renate Grimstad, Miami, Women's Golf, Sports Administration
Sydney Knapp, Miami, Women's Swimming and Diving, Double Major in Communication Studies & International Studies
Christopher Gray, North Carolina, Men's Lacrosse, Management and Society
Rachel Jones, North Carolina, Women's Soccer, Public Policy
Ally Mastroianni, North Carolina, Women's Lacrosse, Media & Journalism: Advertising & Public Relations; Communication Studies
Kathleen Moore, NC State, Women's Swimming and Diving, Industrial Engineering
Makayla Sargent, NC State, Women's Swimming and Diving, Psychology
Stefani Deschner, Notre Dame, Women's Fencing, Pre-professional Studies
Yared Nuguse, Notre Dame, Men's Track and Field, Biochemistry
Kelly Straub, Notre Dame, Women's Swimming and Diving, Pre-professional studies
Kayla Lund, Pittsburgh, Volleyball, Psychology and Communication
Chinaza Ndee, Pittsburgh, Volleyball, Natural Sciences and Psychology
Josephine Kiesel, Syracuse, Rowing, Sport Management
Stephen Rehfuss, Syracuse, Men's Lacrosse, Communication and Rhetorical Studies
Kristen Siermachesky, Syracuse, Women's Ice Hockey, Sport Management
Paige Madden, Virginia, Women's Swimming and Diving, Kinesiology
Rachel Robinson, Virginia, Field Hockey, Kinesiology
Nika Kozar, Virginia Tech, Women's Tennis, Criminology/Sociology
Darby Trull, Virginia Tech, Softball, Consumer Studies
Regan Westwood, Virginia Tech, Women's Swimming and Diving, Smart and Sustainable Cities/ Environmental Policy and Planning
Hannah Betfort, Wake Forest, Women's Soccer, Health and Exercise Science
Bar Tzuf Botzer, Wake Forest, Men's Tennis, Finance
Zachary Tom, Wake Forest, Football, Business Enterprise Management
Jim & Pat Thacker Scholarship Recipients
Name, Institution, Sport, Major
Catriona MacGregor, Georgia Tech, Women's Swimming and Diving, Mechanical Engineering
Debbie Ajagbe, Miami, Women's Track and Field, Engineering
Leon Krapf, NC State, Men's Soccer, Business Administration
Honorary Postgraduate Scholarship Nominees
Name, Institution, Sport, Major
William Nottingham, Clemson, Men's Golf, Management
Michael Rothenberg, Duke, Baseball, Political Science
Luke Waddell, Georgia Tech, Baseball, Business Administration
Nikolina Jovic, Louisville, Women's Tennis, Business Marketing
Elizaveta Lukianova, Miami, Volleyball, Management and Marketing
Maddie Howe, Notre Dame, Women's Lacrosse, Finance
Kirk Christodoulou, Pittsburgh, Football, Finance
Wabissa Bede, Virginia Tech, Men's Basketball, Leadership Studies
Emilia Migliaccio, Wake Forest, Women's Golf, Communication
About the Weaver-James-Corrigan Award
The Weaver-James-Corrigan Award is named in honor of the late Jim Weaver, Bob James, and Gene Corrigan, the first three ACC commissioners. The league's first commissioner, James H. Weaver, served the conference from 1954-70 after a stint as the Director of Athletics at Wake Forest. His early leadership and uncompromising integrity are largely responsible for the excellent reputation enjoyed by the ACC today.
Robert C. James, a former Maryland football player, was named commissioner in 1971 and served in that capacity for 16 years. During his tenure, the league continued to grow in stature and became recognized as a national leader in athletics and academics, winning 23 national championships and maintaining standards of excellence in the classroom.
Eugene F. Corrigan assumed his role as the third full-time commissioner on September 1, 1987 and served until August of 1997. During Corrigan's tenure, ACC schools captured 30 NCAA championships and two national football titles.
Prior to 1994, the Weaver-James postgraduate scholarships were awarded as separate honors, including the Jim Weaver Award, the Marie James Award and the Bob James Award.
About the Thacker Award
The Thacker Award, which originated in 2005, is awarded in honor of the late Jim and Pat Thacker of Charlotte, North Carolina. Jim Thacker was the primary play-by-play announcer for the ACC's first television network. Recipients of the award must demonstrate outstanding performance both in athletic competition and in the classroom and intend to further their education through postgraduate studies at an ACC institution.
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