CLEVELAND ­– Western Michigan gymnast Rachael Underwood was named 2017-18 Mid-American Conference Distinguished Scholar-Athlete on Thursday morning as announced by the conference office.

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"We are so very proud of Rachael and this award is well deserving," commented WMU head coach Penny Jernigan. "She's a shining example of what it means to be a scholar-athlete because day in and day out she takes care of her work in and out of the gym."

The Distinguished Scholar Athlete is a fourth-year award given to students who have excelled in athletics and academics.  Following each season from the winter sports schedule, any student with a 3.20 GPA and participation in at least 50 percent of the contests was automatically named to the previously announced Academic All-MAC Team from each sport.  Also, first-year students and junior college transfers in their first year of residence were not eligible for the award.

From the Academic All-MAC Teams, the faculty athletic representatives selected the 'best of the best' of our Academic All-MAC Teams to be honored with Distinguished Scholar Athlete Award for the 2017-18 season.  The number of Distinguished Scholar Athletes from each sport were equivalent to the number of first-team selections or 20% of nominees, whichever was greater.

Underwood is an interdisciplinary health services – occupational therapy major who carries a 3.97 GPA and it is her second consecutive year garnishing the award. The junior was recently named Academic All-MAC and had another breakout season in her third year as a Bronco gymnast. The Cary, Ill. native qualified for her third consecutive NCAA Regionals and became the first gymnast in WMU history to finish in the top three in any event during regionals. At the event she scored a 9.900 on the floor to finish for a six-way tie for second on the event. Underwood also claimed the all-around title three times during the season, including a career-high and a new school record of 39.350 against Ball State back on March 10. Underwood received the MAC Female Scholar Athlete of the Week running through Jan. 15 – Jan. 22 and finished with an impressive 16 first place finishes. The junior was also named the team's vault and floor MVP.

Underwood's 3.97 is also the highest GPA amongst all 15 MAC gymnasts that were named to the award.

2017-18 MAC Gymnastics Distinguished Scholar Athletes (15):
Jovannah East, Bowling Green, Sophomore, 3.244 GPA, Sport Management (Zion, IL)
Shannon Goniwiecha, Bowling Green, Senior, 3.950 GPA, Biology (Rochester Hills, MI)
India McPeak, Bowling Green, Senior, 3.933 GPA, Exercise Science (Bongor, N. Ireland)
*^Katy Clements, Central Michigan, Senior, 3.57 GPA, Journalism-Public Relations (Gainesville, GA)
*^Bryttany Kaplan, Central Michigan, Senior, 3.93 GPA, Recreation & Event Management (Parker, CO)
Denelle Pedrick, Central Michigan, Sophomore, 3.59 GPA, Exercise Science (Wilcox, Saskatchewan)
Gianna Plaksa, Central Michigan, Junior, 3.93 GPA, Biology/Biomedical Science (Mountain Top, PA)
Hayley Porter, Central Michigan, Sophomore, 3.48 GPA, Exercise Science: Kinesiology (Bellevue, NE)
Emili Dobronics, Eastern Michigan, Sophomore, 3.24 GPA, Exercise Science (Orland Park, IL)
*Lacey Rubin, Eastern Michigan, Senior, 3.73 GPA, Social Work (Plainview, NY)
*Kendall Valentin, Eastern Michigan, Senior, 3.93 GPA, Biology (Holmdel, NJ)
*Dara Williams, Kent State, Junior, 3.921 GPA, Psychology (Bloomington, IL)
Amanda Bartemio, Northern Illinois, Sophomore, 3.913 GPA, Kinesiology (Plymouth, MN)
*Anna Martucci, Northern Illinois, Junior, 3.568 GPA, Marketing (Clarkston, MI)
*Rachael Underwood, Western Michigan, Junior, 3.97 GPA, Interdisciplinary Health Services (Cary, IL)
 
*2016-17 Distinguished Scholar Athlete
^2015-16 Distinguished Scholar Athlete