FOR RELEASE: Saturday, November 01, 2008
Scholarships Honoring Athletic Trainers Awarded
Photo by April L. Brown
Takao Konda of Kumamoto, Japan, from left, Austin Kerkhover of Chester, Ill., Robyn Meyers of Porterfield, Wisc., Sheena White of Jackson, Miss., and Anna McCain of Paris, Texas, all graduate students in the athletic training education program at the University of Arkansas, received the Bill Ferrell Scholarship on Saturday, Nov. 1, at University House. Meyers also received the Dean Weber Scholarship.
Scholarship Winners
The five students who received the scholarships plan to graduate in May with a master's degree in kinesiology with a concentration in athletic training education.
- Austin Kerkhover is a 2003 graduate of Chester High School. He is son of Diane and Jeff Kerkhover of Chester. He is currently working with the Razorback men's football team as part of his clinical requirement.
- Takao Konda is a 2002 graduate of Uto High School in Uki-City, Kumamoto, Japan. He is the son of Ayako and Nobuo Kondo. He is currently working with the Razorback men's baseball team as part of his clinical requirement.
- Anna McCain is a 2003 graduate of Paris High School. She is the daughter of Kara Medsker and Russell McCain, both of Paris. She is currently working with the Razorback men's basketball team as part of her clinical requirement.
- Robyn Meyers is a 2002 graduate of Wausaukee, Wisc., High School. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in 2006 with a Bachelor of Science degree in exercise science and health promotion. She is the daughter of Pamela and Gerald Meyers of Porterfield. She is currently working with the Razorback gymnastics team as part of her clinical requirement.
- Sheena White is a 2003 graduate of Lanier High School in Jackson. She is the daughter of Maggie Benson-White and Claude White of Jackson. She is currently working with the Springdale (Ark.) High School athletic program as part of her clinical requirement.
Five students from the College of Education and Health Professions' athletic training graduate program at the University of Arkansas have received scholarships created in honor of Dean Weber and Bill Ferrell. The awards were presented Saturday, Nov. 1.
The Razorback A Club — a group comprising former athletes and lettermen — and Jim Lindsey worked together to raise money in memory of Ferrell, the longtime athletic trainer and head baseball coach at the university.
Lindsey, chairman of the university's Board of Trustees and a member of the 1964 National Championship football team, agreed to match the money raised by the club members.
"We contacted former athletes who played during Bill's time at the university," said Harold Horton of the Razorback Foundation. "We raised $110,000, and Jim matched our total. I guess you could say we wanted to make it as hard as we could on Jim by raising as much money as possible. I have a tremendous amount of respect for the former players of the Bill Ferrell era and for Jim Lindsey. His match was a great incentive for others to give, but I think the main incentive for the former athletes was knowing they were doing something to honor Bill."
"Bill Ferrell was a great man," said Lindsey. "He was not only a great trainer, he was also every player's friend and father confessor. He was an integral part of our success. And, I believe we would not have won 22 straight games and a national championship in 1964 without his powerful presence."
The Razorback A Club and Lindsey were inspired to create this scholarship after the seniors from the 1979 Razorback football team raised money for a scholarship to honor Weber, also a former athletic trainer for the University of Arkansas who is now the director of equipment operations for the athletics department. With 100 percent participation from the senior class, their achievement was truly unique to the University of Arkansas campus and set a standard for others to follow.
The 1979 Razorback football team had one of the great seasons in school history. They were called "a team without stars" because of their focus on team accomplishments rather than individual recognition.
Carver's Contribution Recognized by College
The College of Education and Health Professions also took the opportunity Nov. 1 to honor and thank Bob Carver of Mena for his contribution to the athletic training education program. Carver, who has worked as a spotter for radio broadcasts of Razorback football games, last May gave the college $59,6000 to purchase the MotionMonitor. The real-time 3-D motion capture system is used to prevent injury and to enhance athletes' performance. It can also be used in rehabilitation and injury prevention for people who are not athletes. See more event photographs »
At their 25th reunion celebration in 2004, the seniors decided to commit themselves as a group to a project that would have a lasting effect and further strengthen their bond. They established three goals for their project, and all three were met: to continue their practice of achieving 100 percent participation as a group of 14 teammates, to give back to the University of Arkansas, and to honor their good friend Weber for his friendship and his years of service and dedication to the university and the many student-athletes under his care.
To date, $53,846 has been raised for the fund, including pledges.
"We in the College of Education and Health Professions are very proud of this collaborative effort," said Reed Greenwood, dean of the college. "It has made possible a vitally important gift that will help promote a nationally visible athletic training education program, and I can't think of anyone better to honor than Dean Weber and Bill Ferrell. I'm particularly pleased for Mrs. Ferrell and her family that Bill is being honored in this way."
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Contact:
Office of university relations
479-575-7346, strick@uark.edu
Heidi Stambuck, director of communications
College of Education and Health Professions
479-575-3138, stambuck@uark.edu