Coffman Wins NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship
Jul 23, 2019 | Track & Field
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Former Kansas State track and field athlete Morgan Coffman has been selected to receive a $10,000 postgraduate scholarship from the NCAA for her excellence in the classroom.
Coffman was one of just 21 female student-athletes from across all levels of NCAA competition for Spring 2019 to receive the scholarship, including only four from track and field. She is the second Wildcat student-athlete to have received an NCAA postgraduate scholarship following current rowing assistant coach Hanna Wiltfong, who was awarded an NCAA Women's Enhancement Program Postgraduate Scholarship for Careers in Athletics in 2012.
"I genuinely think that Morgan has achieved at a level that is close to her maximum, and (at a level of) anyone that we have ever had in the program, athletically then obviously academically," said director of track and field and cross country Cliff Rovelto. "I mean she had all A's, never even had a B (at Kansas State). It's hard to comprehend. But I know how hard she works at everything that she does and how conscientious she is. So it's a great honor for her and very well-deserved."
A native of Vassar, Kansas, Coffman enjoyed a standout career for the Wildcats on both the track and in the classroom. A three-year letter winner as a combined events athlete, she capped her career with two Top 10 finishes at the 2019 Big 12 Outdoor Championships in Norman, Oklahoma, including a fourth-place finish in the women's heptathlon with a personal-best 5,295 points. She rounded out her collegiate career by qualifying for her second-career NCAA West Preliminary, where she placed 30th overall with a jump of 1.70m/5-07.
A three-time Academic All-Big 12 First Team selection, Coffman became the third Wildcat student-athlete to earn First Team Academic All-America honors this academic year when she was selected to the CoSIDA Google Cloud Academic All-American First Team. She was one of only 33 women selected to the team with a perfect 4.0 GPA, including one of just three individuals from the Big 12. Overall, she is the 12th Wildcat track and field athlete to earn First Team Academic All-America since 1986.
"Morgan is a model student-athlete, and we are proud of her and this special recognition," said athletics director Gene Taylor. "She has had an incredible career as a Wildcat both on the track and in the classroom and is very deserving of this scholarship."
In addition, Coffman was selected to the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Team in 2017, 2018 and 2019 and was a recipient of the Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award in 2017, which is the highest academic honor a Big 12 student-athlete can receive.
Coffman was also one of 20 Big 12 student-athletes to receive the Dr. Prentice Gautt Postgraduate Scholarship, which gives recipients $10,000 toward their postgraduate education.
Coffman was a member of numerous academic groups while at K-State, including Phi Theta Kappa (2014), Beta Gamma Sigma International Business (2016) and Phi Kappa Phi (2019) honor societies as well as the National Society of Collegiate Scholars (2016) and Society of Collegiate Leadership and Achievement (2016).
Coffman graduated with dual bachelor of science degrees in life science and business administration with a perfect 4.0 GPA from K-State this past May. She will attend physical therapy school at Northern Arizona University this Fall.
Coffman was part of a women's track and field team that won back-to-back Big 12 Outdoor Championships in 2017 and 2018 and finished with the most points (156.5) by a second-place team in conference history in 2019.
Coffman was one of just 21 female student-athletes from across all levels of NCAA competition for Spring 2019 to receive the scholarship, including only four from track and field. She is the second Wildcat student-athlete to have received an NCAA postgraduate scholarship following current rowing assistant coach Hanna Wiltfong, who was awarded an NCAA Women's Enhancement Program Postgraduate Scholarship for Careers in Athletics in 2012.
"I genuinely think that Morgan has achieved at a level that is close to her maximum, and (at a level of) anyone that we have ever had in the program, athletically then obviously academically," said director of track and field and cross country Cliff Rovelto. "I mean she had all A's, never even had a B (at Kansas State). It's hard to comprehend. But I know how hard she works at everything that she does and how conscientious she is. So it's a great honor for her and very well-deserved."
A native of Vassar, Kansas, Coffman enjoyed a standout career for the Wildcats on both the track and in the classroom. A three-year letter winner as a combined events athlete, she capped her career with two Top 10 finishes at the 2019 Big 12 Outdoor Championships in Norman, Oklahoma, including a fourth-place finish in the women's heptathlon with a personal-best 5,295 points. She rounded out her collegiate career by qualifying for her second-career NCAA West Preliminary, where she placed 30th overall with a jump of 1.70m/5-07.
A three-time Academic All-Big 12 First Team selection, Coffman became the third Wildcat student-athlete to earn First Team Academic All-America honors this academic year when she was selected to the CoSIDA Google Cloud Academic All-American First Team. She was one of only 33 women selected to the team with a perfect 4.0 GPA, including one of just three individuals from the Big 12. Overall, she is the 12th Wildcat track and field athlete to earn First Team Academic All-America since 1986.
"Morgan is a model student-athlete, and we are proud of her and this special recognition," said athletics director Gene Taylor. "She has had an incredible career as a Wildcat both on the track and in the classroom and is very deserving of this scholarship."
In addition, Coffman was selected to the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Team in 2017, 2018 and 2019 and was a recipient of the Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award in 2017, which is the highest academic honor a Big 12 student-athlete can receive.
Coffman was also one of 20 Big 12 student-athletes to receive the Dr. Prentice Gautt Postgraduate Scholarship, which gives recipients $10,000 toward their postgraduate education.
Coffman was a member of numerous academic groups while at K-State, including Phi Theta Kappa (2014), Beta Gamma Sigma International Business (2016) and Phi Kappa Phi (2019) honor societies as well as the National Society of Collegiate Scholars (2016) and Society of Collegiate Leadership and Achievement (2016).
Coffman graduated with dual bachelor of science degrees in life science and business administration with a perfect 4.0 GPA from K-State this past May. She will attend physical therapy school at Northern Arizona University this Fall.
Coffman was part of a women's track and field team that won back-to-back Big 12 Outdoor Championships in 2017 and 2018 and finished with the most points (156.5) by a second-place team in conference history in 2019.
Players Mentioned
/ Track & Field
K-State Track & Field | Uniform Reveal
Tuesday, November 11
K-State T&F | Broad Jump Competition
Tuesday, September 30
K-State T&F | Gear Reveal
Saturday, August 30
K-State TF | NCAA Championship Recap
Tuesday, June 17
