INDIANAPOLIS – Augustana softball's Kendall Cornick has been awarded the prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship the NCAA recently announced.

The NCAA awards up to 126 postgraduate scholarships annually to student-athletes who excel academically and athletically and who are at least in their final year of intercollegiate athletics competition. The one-time $10,000 award is given three times a year, corresponding to each sport season (fall, winter and spring). Nominations come from each school's Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR). 

"Kendall is one of the best student-athletes to have attended Augustana," said Augustana's FAR Dr. Marcia Entwistle. "I cannot think of a more deserving recipient of this scholarship. We are so proud of Kendall and all she accomplished both in athletics and academics. Augustana is a much better place because of her hard work, talent and dedication."

Cornick, a native of Mason City, Iowa, is the 40^th postgraduate scholar for Augustana. She is the second softball player from AU, with the first being Becky Mancuso in 1999.

"I, along with my assistants and players, couldn't be more thrilled and proud of Kendall for receiving an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship," Viking softball head coach Gretta Melsted said. "This is truly an honor. Kendall has been an integral part of our program and is a model for success in all facets of life.

"She is a great representative of our program, our athletic department and our University."

Cornick, a consensus First Team All-America selection in 2021, will attend the University of Iowa for medical school beginning this fall. At the conclusion of the 2020-21 academic year, she was awarded the prestigious Kelley Award from the NSIC as the league's top female student-athlete.

During her time as a Viking, Cornick helped lead the Vikings to the 2019 NCAA Division II National Championship, earned the NSIC Player of the Year, was named the D2CCA Central Region Player of the Year and was a top-15 finalist as the Schutt/NFCA National Player of the Year.

She concluded her career at Augustana ranked second all-time with 91 steals while owning a .377 batting average. In 2021 alone, she hit .453 with 78 hits, 17 doubles and scored 65 runs. She also stole 34 bases this year, a mark that ranked third in the nation and is second on the all-time stolen bases list for a single season.

NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Mission Statement
The NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship was created in 1964 to promote and encourage graduate education by rewarding the Association's most accomplished student-athletes through their participation in NCAA championship and/or emerging sports. Athletics and academic achievements, campus involvement, community service, volunteer activities and demonstrated leadership are evaluated.  An equitable approach is employed in reviewing an applicant's nomination form to provide all student-athlete nominees an opportunity to receive the graduate 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 graduate study.