Valparaiso University awarded 133 student-athletes with Presidential Academic Honors while also handing out the Laurel Award at the 28th Annual Student-Athlete Presidential Academic Honors Banquet held on Sunday evening.

Presidential Academic Honors are awarded to student-athletes who have earned a term GPA of 3.25 or higher for at least two consecutive semesters at Valpo.

Dylan Waugaman (Houston, Texas/Friendswood [Oregon State]), a member of the men’s soccer team, was presented with the annual Laurel Award, honoring the graduating senior student-athlete who achieved the highest cumulative grade point average. Waugaman is on pace to graduate from Valpo with a perfect 4.0 GPA as an accounting major and was a Second Team Academic All-American this year.

Waugaman was joined by five other individuals who earned the Finishing at the Top honor this year, awarded to student-athletes who are seniors academically with a cumulative grade point average of 3.9 or higher:

Katherine Carlson (Lake Orion, Mich./Notre Dame Prep), a member of the volleyball and women’s basketball programs and a business management and sports management double major

Emma Chelsvig (Jacksonville, Ill./Jacksonville), a member of the women’s cross country and track and field programs and a geography major

Kevin Forde (Western Springs, Ill./Fenwick [St. Joseph’s College]), a member of the baseball program and a biology major

Jordan Kopfer (Eagan, Minn./Eastview), a member of the women’s tennis program and a health science major

Mitchell Wittmann (Kaukauna, Wis./Kaukauna), a member of the men’s golf program and a finance major

In addition, eight sophomores and juniors were named Outstanding Student-Athletes as well, awarded to current non-senior student-athletes with a cumulative GPA of 3.9 or better.

Sunday’s program featured remarks from Valparaiso University President Mark A. Heckler, director of athletics Mark LaBarbera, and Lauren Link, who currently works as the director of sports nutrition at Purdue and was a soccer player for the Boilermakers during her time in college. In addition, senior student-athletes Carly Trepanier and Nick Turner spoke as well.