NEWPORT NEWS, Va.— Atlantic 10 Conference Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade announced Thursday the record 14 recipients of the annual A-10 Postgraduate Scholarship. This will mark the first time in the 24-year history of the award that each institution has had a graduating student-athlete receive the prestigious award.

Katie Ollier was selected from the University of Dayton. A pre-physical therapy major, the Dayton, Ohio native has achieved a GPA of 3.75 in her time at UD while being just as successful on the course and on the track. Ollier has three Top 10 finishes in her track events this season, including competing in the 800m, 1500m, 3000m, one mile, 4x400m, and distance medley relay. During the 2014 cross country season, she also led the Flyers at the Atlantic 10 Championships and the NCAA Regional meets as one of two seniors on the squad. A distance runner on both the Dayton cross country and track & field teams, Ollier was named the A-10 Rookie of the Week twice as a freshman in 2011. She served as team captain for both sports as a senior in 2014-15.

Her academic profile includes seven semesters on the Dean's List, an Atlantic 10 Commissioner's Honor Roll selection each semester, and she was a nominee for the UD Presidential Outstanding Scholar-Athlete in 2015.She earned numerous scholarships, including the Virginia W. Kettering Scholarship in 2012, the Dayton AMBUCS Scholarship in 2013, and the annual UD Trustee's Merit Scholarship each year.

Ollier's volunteer efforts included almost 175 hours of community service work, including working on the Frericks 5K committee and Christmas on Campus. She was a member of the Social Justice Club, and a Buddy Walk volunteer. She worked with Faith, Vocation and Leadership Special Interest Housing, was a teaching assistant in Adapted Physical Education, and was a member of the Pre-PT Club and the Mass Choir.

She will attend Dayton for her postgraduate studies. 
 
The A-10 Postgradaute Scholarship program, which began honoring two student-athletes in 1991, has been so successful and well received by both the recipients and the A-10 member institutions that it has expanded several times. The most recent expansion, which was adopted in January of 2015, now includes one representative from each A-10 school, resulting in the record-breaking 14 honorees.
 
"We've had the opportunity to grow the postgraduate program a significant amount as part of the A-10's commitment to providing strong academic support for our student-athletes. Granting 14 scholarships for graduate education speaks volumes about the Atlantic 10 membership and its dedication to our student-athletes," said George Washington Director of Athletics and Recreation Patrick Nero, who serves as Chair of the A-10 Athletic Directors.
 
Designed to provide graduating student-athletes the opportunity to continue their college education, the program now awards $70,000 in scholarship funding to former A-10 student-athletes, more than triple what the program previously granted. This year, all 14 honorees will receive $5,000 to contribute towards full-time enrollment in a graduate or professional program.
 
"These 14 outstanding student-athletes are well-deserving of one of the most prestigious awards in the Atlantic 10. They have been committed to being stellar academically and athletically, and I congratulate each of them and wish them luck as they pursue their advanced degrees," stated McGlade. "I also commend our member institutions for their vision in expanding this worthwhile scholarship fund."
 
This year's recipients, which are listed below, represent 10 sports, including six team sports and five individual sports. The class is comprised of 11 female student-athletes and three males and the average GPA of the 14 individuals is 3.70. The selection process involved the league's athletic directors, senior woman administrators and faculty athletic representatives.

The expansion of the Postgraduate Scholarship Program reflects the broad-based commitment to student-athlete opportunities and academics by the Atlantic 10, which consistently ranks at the top amongst all Division I Conferences in both Graduation Success Rate (GSR) and the Academic Progress Rate (APR) data released by the NCAA. 
 
To be considered for the Postgraduate Scholarship, student-athletes must have performed with distinction both in the classroom and in their respective sports throughout their career, while demonstrating exemplary conduct in the community. Last year, the Postgraduate program honored 10 individuals from seven institutions. The postgraduate program, which began in 1991 honoring one male and one female student-athlete, first expanded to four recipients in 1997 and then to 10 in 2014. 
 
2015 Postgraduate Scholarship Honorees