Just hours after ending the most successful season in school history, six members of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team joined eight other student-athletes and hundreds of classmates at the 244th Commencement Ceremonies today.
The Mocs earned their degrees in the fall festivities at McKenzie Arena. The six members of the football program included Chris Mayes (Health & Human Performance), Zack Rayl (Integrated Studies), Faysal Shafaat (Psychology), Davis Tull (Health & Human Performance), Muhasibi Wakeel (Sociology & Anthropology) and Keon Williams (Integrated Studies).
This group landed in Chattanooga at 4:30 a.m.
following their quarterfinal loss at No. 1 New Hampshire on Friday night and managed a few hours of sleep before donning their cap and gowns. UTC finished with a school record 10-4 mark, its second-straight Southern Conference championship and a No. 8 seed in the FCS Playoffs.
Tull and track & field’s John Gilpin were both Latin Honors Candidates in Health & Human Performance. Soccer’s Kelly Crew and wrestling’s Kevin Malone also earned degrees in HHP. Former wrestler Robert Prigmore earned a Master’s of Business Administration while track’s Amanda Cotter graduated with a degree in Psychology.
Men’s basketball’s Ronrico White and former women’s golfer Porsche Campbell earned degrees in Integrated Studies. Former men’s tennis standout Jorge Varon wrapped up his degree in Business while former football student-athlete Taylor Dodds earned a degree in Integrated Studies.
A full list of today’s grads from the Athletics Department is available below. Be sure to check out the photo gallery attached to this story.
Additional Notes on the 15 Mocs who walked today.
- 12 made the Athletics Director’s Honor Roll at least once in their careers.
- Nine won at least one Southern Conference Team Championship in their careers at UTC.
- Four made at least one All-Southern Conference team in their careers.
- Three were Academic All-Southern Conference Honorees.
- One SoCon Player of the Year.
- One All-American.
Men’s Basketball
Ronrico White – Integrated Studies
Football
Taylor Dodds – Integrated Studies
Chris Mayes – Health & Human Performance
Zack Rayl – Integrated Studies
Faysal Shafaat - Psychology
Davis Tull – Health & Human Performance – Latin Honors Candidate
Muhasibi Wakeel – Sociology & Anthropology
Keon Williams – Integrated Studies
Women’s Golf
Porsche Campbell – Integrated Studies
Soccer
Kelly Crew – Health & Human Performance
Men’s Tennis
Jorge Varon - Business
Track & Field/Cross Country
Amanda Cotter - Psychology
John Gilpin – Health & Human Performance – Latin Honors Candidate
Wrestling
Kevin Malone – Health & Human Performance
Robert Prigmore – M.B.A.