Caleb VanArragon of Valparaiso headlines the 2023 Missouri Valley Conference Men's Golf Scholar-Athlete Team as he has been named the league's Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He is joined on the First Team by eight additional student-athletes, announced by the league office today. A total of 12 student-athletes received recognition by earning either first-team or honorable-mention honors.
VanArragon is a three-time MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year and three-time Elite 17 Award winner. The Elite 17 Award is presented to the individual with the highest GPA among top finishers at the MVC Championship. He was an at-large qualifier for an NCAA Regional this season after leading the Missouri Valley Conference in scoring average with a 70.85, shattering Valpo’s modern program record, prior to the NCAA Championship. He is a four-time All-MVC selection.
The Scholar-Athlete Team, voted on by the league's golf sports information directors, had three repeat first-team picks on this year's squad -- Tom Cleaton of Southern Illinois; Griffin Parker of UNI; and VanArragon. In addition to the nine first-team selections, three student-athletes received honorable mention selection by virtue of receiving a minimum number of votes. A total of 18 student-athletes were nominated for men’s golf scholar-athlete honors.
First Team
Joe Bultman, Belmont, Gr., 3.91 Business Administration (undergrad), 3.76 MBA
Tom Cleaton, Southern Illinois, Gr., 3.90 Business Management (Undergrad), 3.90 MBA
Anthony Delisanti, Valparaiso, So., 3.85 Sport Management
Nicholas Gushrowski, Evansville, Jr., 3.815 GPA, Civil Engineering
Braden Hoisington, Southern Illinois, So., 3.75 Aviation Flight
Griffin Parker, UNI, Sr., 3.74, Accounting & Real Estate
Lucas Scherf, Drake, Gr., 3.90, Communications | 3.71 undergrad Finance/Accounting
Michael Senn, Belmont, So., 3.89 Finance
Caleb VanArragon, Valparaiso, Sr., 4.00 Biology/Statistics
Honorable Mention
John Buchanan, Murray State, Gr., Economics, 3.81 (undergrad) Economic Development, 4.0 (grad)
John Stillman, Bradley, Sr., 4.00 Political Science
Markus Wilhelmsen, Southern Illinois, Gr., 3.92 Business Management (undergrad), 3.91 MBA
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Caleb VanArragon, Valparaiso
The criteria for the MVC scholar-athlete team parallels the CSC (College Sports Communicators) standards for its Academic All-America® program. Nominated student-athletes must have participated in the MVC championship or 50 percent of the team's tournaments in season -- with legitimate athletic credentials -- and at least a 3.50 cumulative grade-point average (4.0 scale). Nominees in grad school must have a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or better both as an undergrad AND in graduate school.