TicketsSmith Wins Senior Award
Track standout earns Jimmy Nippert Award
Contact: Shawn Sell
5/13/2005
UC senior Chris Smith |
CINCINNATI, Ohio--University of Cincinnati senior Chris Smith has been selected as the top graduating male student-athlete and will be honored for his accomplishments with presentation of the Jimmy Nippert Awards this weekend.
Smith will be honored at the All University Awards Ceremony on Sunday (May 15) at Fifth Third Arena. The program begins at 4 p.m.
Smith (Cincinnati, Ohio/Princeton), a member of the Bearcat track and field team, will be bestowed the Jimmy Nippert Award as the top graduating male scholar-athlete in the department. Specializing in the pole vault during his career, Smith has twice qualified for regionals in the event and was the 2002 Conference USA champion. This season, he has earned C-USA Athlete of the Week honors once. Smith, whose personal-best vault of 17?6-1/2? ranks second in UC history, will compete at the NCAA Mid-East Regionals later this month.
Off the track, Smith is a secondary education major with an emphasis in social studies. He has been a member of both the Topcat and Bearcat Honor Rolls during his career and has also been named to the C-USA Commissioner?s Honor Roll.
The Jimmy Nippert Award is presented to the top graduating senior male student-athletes who has distinguished themselves by academic achievement, athletic accomplishment and service to the campus community.
The other finalists for the Jimmy Nippert Awards were Jim Olds of the baseball team and a native of Lafayette, Ind. and Andre Frazier, a defensive end on the football from Cincinnati.