By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information & OVC Media Relations
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – What has become a long-standing, Tennessee Tech Athletics tradition, two more Golden Eagle student-athletes were recognized for succeeding at the highest level of the Ohio Valley Conference Thursday morning as the League announced its six recipients of the 2023-24 OVC Scholar-Athlete Award, including Tech baseball pitcher Peyton Calitri and women's soccer midfielder Yao Giada Zhou.
The award is given annually to three men and three women student-athletes for their accomplishments in both the classroom and athletic arena, and because of their leadership qualities. This marks the seventh time in the past eight years at least one Tech student-athlete was honored.
Calitri and Giada Zhou represent the 39th and 40th Golden Eagle student-athletes to take home the honor and the ninth and 10th in the past eight years. Last year, men's tennis' Jun Sasagawa and women's cross country/track & field's Ruby Wyles earned the honor for the purple and gold.
"It's so rewarding as the Director of Athletics at Tennessee Tech to continue to see Golden Eagle student-athletes being recognized for their commitment as student-athletes, with the student coming first," Mark Wilson expressed. "Both Peyton and Yao are very deserving of this honor and have been great ambassadors for Tennessee Tech during their careers. Peyton shows his character every time he sets foot on the diamond and Yao has been a true leader since she stepped foot on campus. We are incredibly blessed to have had them represent our University.
A junior college transfer from Walters State prior to the 2022 campaign, Calitri has spent the past two seasons primarily working as a weekend starter for the Golden Eagle baseball team. In the classroom, he has sported a perfect 4.0 grade point average while pursuing a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering.
He has earned a spot on the Athletic Director's Honor Roll four times, the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll twice, and received the OVC Academic Medal of Honor two times.
Giada Zhou just capped her senior season with the Golden Eagles, leading the purple and gold to their second straight OVC regular-season crown and capturing her second straight OVC Midfielder of the Year honors and second spot on the All-OVC First Team. Last year, she was also named to the United Soccer Coaches All-South Region Third Team.
Academically, the San Michele al Tagliamento, Italy native has also delivered a perfect 4.0 GPA, all while pursuing a degree in business information and technology. She is a six-time honoree of the Athletic Director's Honor Roll, a three-time member of the OVC Commssioner's Honor Roll, and a three-time recipient of the OVC Medal of Honor.
The other 2023-24 OVC Scholar-Athlete winners included Matea Diekema of SIUE (women's soccer), Logan Lommel of Western Illinois (men's cross country/track & field), Dylan Mott of UT Martin (volleyball/beach volleyball), and Ryley Preece of Morehead State (baseball).
"Our student-athletes continue to achieve at the highest level and this is just another example of that," Wilson added. "I am so proud that we have been represented with one of these honors so frequently over the last eight years. Peyton and Yao truly earned this honor and we are elated to have them representing our University."
The six winners were selected from a group of 16 finalists by a vote of OVC Faculty Athletics Representatives. Honorees must have performed athletically with distinction, earned at least a 3.5 grade-point average, and conducted themselves in a manner that has brought credit to the student-athlete, his or her institution, intercollegiate athletics, and the OVC. The award is based on academic and athletic criteria/accomplishments achieved during the 2022-23 school year.
Other nominees for the Scholar-Athlete Award were: Deveon Bryant of Tennessee State (football), Nicolas Fares of UT Martin (rifle), Rachel Kaufman of Eastern Illinois (softball), Alondrah Rodriguez of Tennessee State (volleyball), Chad Strickland of Eastern Illinois (football), and Colleen Swift of Morehead State (soccer).
Photos by Emily Armstrong
