Photo Caption for home page graphic - back row, left to right:  Dr. Randall Webb (NSU President), Yetta James-Volff (Track and Field), Zach Hoyt (Sports Medicine), Leslie Oglesby (Sports Medicine), Will Pratt (Basketball), Dwayne Watkins (Basketball), Jeremy Henderson (Track and Field), Patrick Bennett (Track and Field), Ryan Westbrook (Baseball), Spencer Harrell (Football), Michael Potter (Football), Sascha Erler (Football), Corey Ragas (Football), Dr. Randy Moffett (University of Louisiana System President)  - Front Row: Sitting- Chantel Bratton (Track and Field), Keyera Thomas (Track and Field), Christian Marks (Soccer), Olga Bazhanova (Tennis), Kourtney Adams (Volleyball), Holly Moreno (Volleyball), Standing - Alexia Colvin (Volleyball), Kayla King (Soccer), Trey Pattin (Basketball-JV)


NATCHITOCHES – All-Southland Conference athletes Olga Bazhanova, Colin Bear, Mike Green and Will Pratt, along with softball star pitcher Kelee Grimes, headlined 46 graduates from Northwestern State's athletic program Friday at the university's annual spring commencement exercises in Prather Coliseum.
 
Grimes, who ranked 18^th nationally as a junior in earned run average and threw two career no-hitters, was a magna cum laude graduate with a grade point average between 3.70 and 3.89 on a 4.0 scale.  Earning cum laude honors with a GPA between 3.50-3.69 were Chantel Bratton of the Lady Demon track and field team, former Lady Demon basketball player Andrea Miller and baseball's Ryan Westbrook.
 
Bear, an all-conference outfielder and standout pitcher for NSU, joined Demon baseball teammates Jordan Buckley, Ray Frias and Westbrook  as they quickly loaded the team bus following the afternoon ceremonies for the team's trip to Conway, Ark., for a Southland Conference series starting Saturday night.
 
Bazhanova finished among NSU's all-time leaders in career singles and doubles wins while topping the Lady Demon tennis lineup for three seasons, helping the 2010 team win the Southland Conference championship and reach the NCAA Tournament with a 21-2 record, best in the nation.

Green was a standout quarter-miler for the Demons track and field team and helped NSU win two straight 4x400 meter relay championships at the prestigious Texas Relays.
 
Pratt posted one of the most explosive scoring seasons in Demon basketball history with 568 points, a 17.8 average, in 2010-11. That ranks fifth all-time and propelled him to a professional career overseas and in the NBA Development League. Pratt completed his NSU degree online while playing in Portugal and returned from his hometown of New York City to take part in commencement.
 
A teammate of Pratt's, Dwayne Watkins, overcame great adversity to receive his degree Friday. Watkins had just successfully returned from reconstructive knee surgery when he suffered a broken neck in an automobile accident in August 2009. Incredibly, he made it back on the basketball court but suffered an injury to his other knee that ended his playing career. Watkins and Pratt enhanced the 85 percent graduation rate for Demon basketball in 13 seasons under Coach Mike McConathy.
 
Lady Demon soccer player Christian Marks earned her degree from the Louisiana Scholars' College at NSU. Teammate Kayla King also graduated Friday.
 
Green was among 11 track and field competitors receiving degrees, including school hepathalon record holder Yetta James-Volff, whose mark of 5,306 points in her sophomore year of 1988 still stands. Current team members Bratton, Patrick “P.J.” Bennett, Kartemus Heary, Keyera Thomas and Taylor Utsey graduated along with former teammates Jeremy Henderson, Ed Smith and Tristen Dodd. Former high jumper Greg Hall, received his master's degree Friday after winning Academic All-Southland honors as an undergraduate.
 
Current football receiver Spencer Harrell, who will return for his senior season this fall and plans to play baseball next spring, picked up his degree with eight other former Demon footballers: Nicholas Carr, Sascha Erler, Jesse Hernandez, David Larsen, Corey Ragas, Michael Potter, Daniel Sharbono and Deondre Smith.
 
Four Lady Demon volleyball letterwinners, Kourtney Adams, Alexia Colvin, Megan Manning and Holly Moreno, received undergraduate degrees while graduate assistant coach Elaina Kakatolis earned a master's degree.
 
Former baseball players Chad Northcott and Jacob Williford also received diplomas.
 
Former Demon basketball junior varsity players Russell Jackson, Trey Pattin and Braden Rivers graduated Friday.

Cary Bruno, an All-Southland Conference outfielder as an undergraduate before joining the NSU athletic academic counseling staff, picked up her master's degree, along with former colleague Adrianna Peguero and athletic training staff members Zach Hoyt and Leslie Oglesby.
 
Demon Sports Network staff member Brittany Glennon earned her bachelor's degree Friday.