Kirkwood Honored as a Top Student-Athlete

Story Links

Jacob E. Osterhout put together an article on the 15 best student-athletes in the country for the Hall of Fame Network. Titled The 15 Best Student-Athletes You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of, Osterhout and his writers worked to narrow the field of collegiate athletes from all levels to 15 student-athletes who excelled at both their sport and in the classroom. Virginia volleyball standout Sarah Kirkwood was one of the final 15 student-athletes honored.

Watching the big-time collegiate programs face-off in big-time, revenue generating sports, it can be easy to scoff at the notion of “student-athletes.” But that’s only a small percentage of NCAA athletics. Most college sports are played by athletes who are dedicated to excellence on the field, in the classroom and in the community. Listed in the link above are 15 graduating seniors you’ve probably never heard of, whose outstanding all-around performances legitimize the notion of the “student-athlete”. Below is the blurb about Kirkwood.

Kirkwood was an All-ACC member for the past three seasons and was the Cavaliers’ top player last season, leading her team to 13 conference wins. She was ranked in the ACC’s top five in kills, service aces and total points and completed her career in Charlottesville as Virginia’s all-time leader in service aces, kills and attack attempts. But what’s most impressive about Kirkwood is her performance in the classroom. A Rhodes Scholar finalist and All-ACC Academic team member, she’s a pre-med student and cognitive science major who was awarded as the 2007 ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for volleyball.