(Posted May 24, 2010)

HUNTINGDON, Pa. - Among his numerous academic achievements that Jeff Berkey has already received this year, he can add an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship to that list. He is the seventh student-athlete from Juniata College to earn the prestigious award.

Student-athletes who are in their final season of NCAA eligibility, have an cumulative grade point average of 3.2, have performed with distinction as a member of the varsity team and intend to continue academic work beyond an undergraduate degree are eligible for an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.

The NCAA awards up to 174 postgraduate scholarships annually, split in half as 87 are for men and 87 are for women. The scholarships are awarded to student-athletes who excel both academically and athletically and who are in their final year of intercollegiate athletics competition.

The one-time grants of $7,500 each are awarded for fall sports, winter sports and spring sports. Each sports season there are 29 scholarships available for men and 29 scholarships available for women.

Academically, Berkey (Stoystown, Pa./Shanksville-Stoneycreek) has been on the Dean's list all eight semesters, ranking in the top ten percent of his graduating class. He graduated with a degree in Business Management with a secondary emphasis in Politics. He earned a spot on the Landmark Conference All-Academic Team for the second time this year. Berkey has even made a splash in the national spotlight, being named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District team as a senior.

On the court, he led his men's basketball team in points, scoring 13.0 points per game. He was deadly from beyond the arc, making 67 of 160 three-point field goal attempts.

Through his four-year career, Berkey has climbed high among the ranks in Juniata history in a couple different three-point field goal categories. His 67 made threes during his senior season ranks him third in Juniata College history. Making 158 from beyond the arc during his career places his fifth all-time throughout the 105 years of the storied program. He also ranks third in three-point field goal percentage, hitting .394 of his attempts.

The NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship was created in 1964 to promote and encourage postgraduate education by rewarding the Association's most accomplished student-athletes through their participation in NCAA championship and/or emerging sports. Athletics and academic achievements, as well as campus involvement, community service, volunteer activities and demonstrated leadership, are evaluated. An equitable approach is employed in reviewing each applicant's nomination form to provide opportunity to all student-athlete nominees to receive the postgraduate award, regardless of sport, division, gender or race. In maintaining the highest broad-based standards in the selection process, the program aims to reward those individuals whose dedication and effort are reflective of those characteristics necessary to succeed and thrive through postgraduate study in an accredited graduate degree program.

Berkey has yet to make his announcement on which law school he will attend in the fall.

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Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.