Three from SEMO honored for academic excellence

Jared Siemers, Emma Garrett and Margaret O'Neal all distinguished themselves as impressive Southeast Missouri State athletes over the past four years.

The trio also distinguished themselves in the classroom, which was recognized earlier this week when they earned top honors during Southeast's annual scholar-athlete reception.

Siemers won the Jewel Award while Garrett and O'Neal shared the Trombetta Award, given annually to the graduating senior male and female athletes with the highest grade-point averages during their careers. All will graduate this month.

"It's exciting," said Siemers, a thrower in track and field who carries a 3.81 GPA in exercise science. "I actually found out when I got there [for the reception] when I read it on the pamphlet. I had no idea, which was kind of a good thing. I didn't have a chance to get nervous."

Siemers has been a key contributor in various events for the track and field team, making his biggest mark in the hammer throw.

The Central High School graduate earned second-team all-Ohio Valley Conference honors during last year's OVC outdoor meet by finishing second in the hammer. He has recorded several other top-five finishes entering his final OVC meet this weekend.

Siemers said competing for his home town university has made his college experience extra special.

"It's kind of cool, because when you have stuff in the newspaper, family and friends will call up and say they've seen it. You just get a lot of support overall," Siemers said. "It's been a lot of fun."

Siemers said getting strong grades was always emphasized in his family.

"Academics have always been pretty important to me. My parents always wanted me to be a student before being an athlete," he said. "It's tough sometimes to keep it up. The biggest part is time management, working a job, having track, doing homework."

Siemers has managed to keep up well and his future plans are to attend graduate school at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo. He wants to pursue a degree in health care administration and has his sights set on working either for a hospital or a fitness center.

Garrett and O'Neal, like Siemers, also appreciated the recognition although academic excellence is nothing knew to the gymnasts who both have perfect 4.0 GPAs.

They have helped the Redhawks finish first or second nationally in team grade-point average every season, with both earning NACGC/W All-Academic honors in each of their collegiate campaigns.

"I thought it was a big honor," said Garrett, a dietetics major. "Growing up my parents always stressed academics because that's what will get you somewhere in life."

Garrett, a native of Jacksonville, Fla., this year tied for the sixth-best floor score in school history with a 9.925. She twice earned all-Midwest Independent Conference honors.

"I've had a great time here," Garrett said.

Garrett's future plan is to become a registered dietician and eventually work with athletes.

O'Neal, from Highlands Ranch, Colo., is a pre-medicine major.

"It's quite an honor to be able to win that award and be recognized for academic achievement, even though we've had a big commitment with gymnastics," O'Neal said. "My parents always told me if my grades started to slip gymnastics was the first thing to go."

O'Neal, like Garrett, was a key four-year contributor for the Redhawks.

"It's been really great. I've had wonderful teammates, coaches and great professors," O'Neal said of her time at Southeast.

O'Neal plans to attend medical school at either Colorado or Texas Tech. She said she is interested in emergency medicine but is open to exploring other avenues in the field.

Nearly 200 recognized

A total of 199 athletes were recognized during the scholar-athlete reception for achieving a 3.0 or better GPA this year. That mark represents 63.7 percent of all Southeast athletes.

Thirteen of Southeast's 15 intercollegiate athletic teams recorded a GPA of better than 3.0. The gymnastics squad posted the best mark with a 3.84 GPA.