During spring semester 2019, 112 Ferrum College student-athletes earned academic honors: 33 student-athletes were named to the President’s List (4.0 GPA for the semester), while 79 student-athletes earned Dean’s List recognition (3.40 GPA or greater for the semester). Women’s soccer had the greatest number of students on the President’s List, with six student-athletes reaching the 4.0 milestone. Football led the way in Dean’s List honors, with 16 student-athletes earning this distinction.
Following are the list of honorees, by sport.
Joshua GreenwayRaekwon GiggettsLance KeiserKoby McMahonGraham Doucette
Hampus EspelandLacey Bishop
Layura Henley
Morgan McCoy
Carly Nelson
Cheyenne StricklandAmetria Booker
Morgan McCoy
Cheyenne StricklandKelsey Mosley
Margaret SelfHunter TharpeMicaela HarveyMikayla Cannaday
Miranda Dougherty
Brady Hentz
Jenna Janicki
Alex Mattson
Payton StuartElina Baltins
Mariah Banks
Kristen Morris
Nancy ShoafHunter Tharpe
Hailee Green
Chelsea ZizziLeya DeickmanBrandon Harrison
Kyle Anstice
Cory Peel
Jacob Tomlin
Nathaniel Anthony
Noah Collins
Timothy Ortega
Connor Dopp
William ReddCortney Crawford
Raven MartinGloria Wood
Emma WilliamsLindsay Koogler
Sierra Magdaleno
Raven Martin
Kelsy MaysCary Beverly
Hunter Berrier
Daniel Mitchell
Mark Camp
Tanner Kennedy
Adam Keiser
Brian Mann
Robert Grande
Nicolas Cook
Lawrence Baranski
Benjamin Reynolds
Quentin Wallace
Benjamin Foster
Roshun Patterson
Jeremy Quarles
Dakota CrouseRobert WattsEvan Henken-Siefken
John Sheehan
Alec Kendrick
Jacob Boswell
Travis Murray
Cole LipinskiJason Anstice
Cole Lipinski
Marcus Trotman
Moore Dolue
JaKaron Timmons
Peter Khraish
Robert Watts
Derek Thomas
Samuel MayTaylor Darnell
Jonathan KraftSamuel May
Moore Dolue
Brandon Carter
Patrick MarshPedro Arrocena-JacuindeBrandi Woods
Arielle Eure
Kassie Widner
Haley Blaisure
Allison McGeheeKelli Mounce
Arin BunkerJordan ThompsonLauren Jutras
Megan AllenCayla Berry
Victoria Wagner
Alexis McCargo
Abigale Light
Taylor Dodson
Gabriella KermonAlexandria Dixon
Autum Murray-BurnsCynthia Aldama
Marissa Ruiz
Katrina Anderson
Kristin PerryKassie Widner
Bethany ShortCharles Tisby
Miranda Dougherty, originally of Waretown, NJ, was five when she began her soccer career. Now she is a junior defender on Ferrum College’s women’s soccer team, is double-majoring in criminal justice and psychology, and carries a 3.97 grade point average.
Dougherty’s future has always been steeped in success. Her mother was her “academic coach” and inspired her success in the classroom. Her father, who played soccer at Villanova, was her “field coach,” and encouraged her best athletic performance. She was recruited by Coach James Lofton to play soccer at Ferrum College and was immediately impressed by the comradery within the women’s soccer team. With U.S. women’s national soccer star Mia Hamm as her idol, Dougherty’s athletic career blazed.
Unfortunately, during her freshman season at the College, Dougherty tore her ACL and required two surgeries. She felt as if her soccer days were over; however, with the support of her parents and teammates, she rebounded to the field with a win over Emory & Henry College.
“Overcoming the injury setback required me to remain positive and move beyond the feeling that my soccer career was over,” explained Dougherty. “That experience helped me develop a deeper level of mental toughness.”
Thanks to the influence of Dougherty’s role models and life experiences, she is taking steps to make her dream a reality: a career with the FBI, beginning with current efforts to secure an internship with the agency following her graduation in May 2020.
Read more about Dougherty on the Ferrum College Blog.
When Senior Lawrence Baranski (also known as “LB”) was asked to reflect on his time as a student-athlete at Ferrum College, his response was: “No regrets.”
Looking at LB’s accomplishments, it’s easy to see why he feels this way. He is a stalwart football player, a solid student, and is involved in numerous campus organizations, to include Enactus (Business) Club, Student Athlete Academic Advisory Committee, National Residence Hall Honor Society, and Clay Target Club. LB was the 2017-18 Mentor of the Year for Brother4Brother, and currently serves as president of the Student Government Association and vice president of legislation.
With all of LB’s success off the field, it is the success he and his Panther teammates are finding on the field of which LB is most proud. “Coming from a losing team to a winning program, this is what I am most proud of,” he explained. “We have great coaches and have developed strong team unity. We compete at everything, from bowling to the inter-squad draft. We push each other. You have to be a ‘team’ to win.”
According to LB, the biggest challenges college athletes face are managing time, maintaining balance, and prioritizing. “You have to use a planner, there is too much going on in an athlete’s life,” he said. Prioritizing and balancing sports and academics is critical to success. “You have to put as much effort into the classroom as you do your sport. Even when it’s difficult,” he explained. “My most difficult class at Ferrum was statistics. I had to get additional help with the homework from the tutoring center. Sometimes that meant being late to football practice. I didn’t like it, but that was what I had to do.”
LB sees a bright career future. He wants to build on his business degree by working as a financial manager or possibly a stock trader; however, it is a deeper, more personal goal that drives LB. “I want to be a first-generation college student who becomes a millionaire,” he said.
During the last four years, Lawrence Baranski has embodied the spirit of the student-athlete. He has found success on the field, in the classroom, and within the Ferrum College campus community. When asked again if there were no regrets, he replied, “None. Although I would like to have the chance to play Emory and Henry again this year!”
Always the competitor.
