May 16, 2006

As part of its 10th Anniversary celebration the Big 12 Conference is spotlighting past recipients of the Dr. Prentice Gautt Postgraduate Scholarship Program. To be eligible for consideration a student-athlete must have possessed a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, participated in at least two years of intercollegiate athletics at the nominating institution, and plan to enroll in graduate school within 15 months of graduation.

This week the Big 12 salutes Iowa State student-athletes and Dr. Prentice Gautt Postgraduate Scholarship winners Beth Chapman and Daniel Zelik.

Chapman was a two-time Academic All-Big 12 in soccer and was a Dean's List student for all eight semesters at Iowa State. She was a member of the Cyclones' soccer team from 2000-03, starting all 19 games in goal during the '03 season. The animal science/pre-veterinary medicine grad is enrolled in veterinary medicine studies at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

"The Dr. Gautt Scholarship was very vital to my continuing education," she noted. "Becoming a veterinarian has been a lifelong dream, and the additional funds have given my family and me a major assist in keeping the dream alive. It's exciting and challenging at the same time to be working on a graduate degree."

Zelik, who competed in the ISU track and field program as a hurdler from 2001-05, is pursuing a graduate degree at Ohio State University and has options to enter the engineering, sociological or psychological fields after completing his Masters. Zelik was an eight-time member of the Commissioner's Honor Roll and six-time Academic All-Big 12.

"It was truly an honor to receive the Dr. Prentice Gautt Postgraduate Scholarship," he stated. "I have some career options that are open at this point, but the opportunity to attend Ohio State with part of this scholarship helping with tuition was a big thing for me."

Since 1997 the Dr. Prentice Gautt Scholarship program has funded nearly $700,000 to Big 12 student-athletes for their postgraduate studies.