Wayne State University Athletics

Women's Basketball 4/27/2021 10:00:00 AM Jeff Weiss, Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Media Relations

Ruhstorfer Receives NCAA Degree Completion Award

DETROIT -- Wayne State University women's basketball student-athlete Anna Ruhstorfer has been chosen to receive an NCAA Division II Degree Completion Award.

"The work of selecting recipients for the NCAA Degree Completion Award can be daunting with so many exceptional student athletes to consider but the selection of Anna is certainly deserving," stated WSU Director of Athletics Rob Fournier. "She epitomizes the hard work, sacrifice and purpose it takes to be a successful student athlete.

"It was not too many years ago (well it least it seems that way to me) that I remember her sister (Sara) first enrolling at WSU as a basketball student-athlete with the same purpose and commitment. The Ruhstorfer family can be justifiably proud of their successes … and their future."

Ruhstorfer, who served as a team captain this past season, will be a three-time GLIAC All-Academic Excellence honoree. She has been on the Academic Honor Roll all previous seven semesters, including five terms on the Athletic Director's Honor Roll (term GPA 3.5+). Ruhstorfer has been a member of the WSU Student Leadership Council and a three-time recipient of the D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award.

The NCAA established the Division II Degree Completion Award Program in 2001 to provide deserving student-athletes financial assistance for them to complete their first baccalaureate degree.

To date, nearly $6 million has been given to approximately 1,400 deserving student-athletes. Of those student-athletes who have received the award since its inception, 90 percent have earned their undergraduate degree using this program.

Past Degree Completion Award Winners from Wayne State
2020-21: Rachelle Clayton (Softball), Elizabeth Maraskine (Swimming)
2015-16: Anne Li Briand (Women's Tennis)
2009-10: Sean Smith (Swimming)
2008-09: Erika Barczak (Women's Diving), Lindsey Perry (Softball)
2007-08: Dan Barnes (Football/Baseball), Kyle Hill (Baseball)
2005-06: Jon Herstein (Football), David Lutz (Swimming), Toni Purgatori (Volleyball)
2004-05: Maria D'Agostino (Softball), BreAnne Detrick (Volleyball), Leah Ondrovick (Softball)

2007-08: (Division 1) Peyton Patterson

Requirements for the Award

Applicant shall be a student-athlete who has completed athletics eligibility at an active NCAA Division II institution.
Applicant must be within 36 semester hours (54 quarter hours) of completion of an undergraduate degree.
The degree must be completed within 10-semesters (15 quarters).
Applicant must be meeting the institution's standard for good academic standing.
Applicant cannot concurrently receive any athletics aid from the institution.
Applicant must use the award to complete the first undergraduate degree requirements from the institution where the student-athlete exhausted his or her athletics eligibility.

In addition, the following criteria applies to the award:

The Division II Degree Completion Award value is the lesser of:

Tuition for his or her remaining credits toward completing an undergraduate degree; or
$7,000.

The Division II Degree Completion Award may be used for summer term and other short terms immediately preceding or following the final undergraduate term/year, provided it is within the student-athlete's 10 semesters (15 quarters).
An institution is limited to nominating a maximum of three student-athletes for the Division II Degree Completion Award.
The committee will rank all applicants who have completed applications and will reach out to alternates as awarding dollars become available.

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