FOLLOW OHIO ATHLETICS: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

CLEVELAND  -- Senior Alyssa Christian (Newark, Ohio) of the Ohio track and field team and graduate student Bryce Houston (Lewis Center, Ohio) of the Ohio football team were named as Mid-American Conference Medal of Excellence Award winners for the 2022-23 academic year, the league announced Thursday morning (May 18).

Christian and Houston will be presented with the Medal of Excellence Award, along with 22 other student-athletes from the MAC, during the 2023 Honors Dinner Ceremony at the Metropolitan at The 9 Hotel as part of MAC Spring Meetings.

The Medal of Excellence is an award presented annually to one male and one female student-athlete from the graduating class of each of the 12 Conference member institutions.

Christian graduated with a degree in Psychology with a 3.96 GPA. This season, the SAAC president ran personal bests in the 5k and 6k this cross country season. She recorded 19.29.4 in the 5k and 21:33.5 in the 6k. Additionally, she ran personal bests in the mile (4:58.39) and 800 (2:17.21) this past indoor season. She also competed on the scoring indoor distance medley relay team (DMR) the past three years, placing fifth 2022 & 2023 and seventh 2021.

Christian was named Academic All-MAC in 2021(cross country, indoor, and outdoor), 2022 (cross country and outdoor), and 2023 (indoor), and in March, Christian released a self-published collection of short stories called 'Into the Night'.

Houston graduated with an undergraduate degree in finance with a 3.50 GPA. This season, Houston started all 14 games for the Bobcats, recording 76 tackles, 40 of which were solo, with 11 tackles for loss. He led the team with 5.5 sacks and had two fumble recoveries, highlighted by a 42 yard fumble recovery for a touchdown to extend Ohio's lead over Fordham (Sept. 24). Houston was a 2022 Team captain and was named Academic All-MAC.

Throughout his career, Houston has been named to the All-MAC Third Team and has been an Academic All-MAC selection a total of three times. 

To be honored with the Medal of Excellence Award, student-athletes had to participate on the varsity level in a conference sponsored sport and shown evidence of academic success with a minimum 3.50 accumulative grade-point average, exhibited athletics excellence, leadership and service.  Selection of the recipients was made by each MAC institution.

2023 Medal of Excellence Award Winners

Akron:
Nicolas Arrivo, Baseball, MSM Supply Chain Management, 3.53 GPA
Weronika Gorecka, W Swim & Dive, Strategic and Organizational Communication, 3.75 GPA
 
Ball State:
Noah Berryman, M Swim & Dive, Political Science / Economics, 3.61 GPA
Megan Teter, Gymnastics, Biochemistry / Pre-Medicine, 3.70 GPA
 
Bowling Green:
Gage Schenk, Baseball, Master of Accountancy, 4.00 GPA
Zaresha Neal, W Track & Field, Master of Business Administration, 4.00 GPA
 
Buffalo:
Olivia DeBortoli, Volleyball / W Basketball, Biological Sciences, 3.95 GPA
Giuseppe Hoose, Wrestling, Environmental Engineering, 3.77 GPA
 
Central Michigan:
Robert Stuart, Football, Masters of Science in Neuroscience, 4.00 GPA
Hannah DeMers, Gymnastics, Applied Arts in Health Administration, 3.88 GPA
 
Eastern Michigan:
Chevonne Wheeler, W Track & Field, Exercise Science and Physiology, 4.00 GPA
Luke Russo, Baseball, Marketing, 3.67 GPA
 
Kent State:
Kody Komara, Wrestling, Masters of Sport Administration, 3.80 GPA
Rachel DeCavitch, Gymnastics, Communication Studies, 3.60 GPA
 
Miami:
Riley Coyne, Softball, Master of Gerontological Studies, 3.88 GPA
Jalen Walker, Football, Master of Sport Leadership & Management, 3.65 GPA
 
NIU:
Liam Soraghan, Football, Master in Business Administration, 3.77 GPA
Natalie Hamp, Gymnastics, Kinesiology, 3.99 GPA
 
Ohio:
Bryce Houston, Football, Finance, 3.50 GPA
Alyssa Christian, W Cross Country/Track & Field, Psychology, 3.96 GPA
 
Toledo:
JT Shumate, M Basketball, Education in Middle Childhood Education, 3.84 GPA
Erin Hunt, Softball, Master of Public Health, 4.00 GPA
 
Western Michigan:
Peter Kuszynski, Men's Tennis, Finance, 3.76 GPA
Hannah Sargent, W Soccer, Aerospace Engineering, 3.88 GPA

#OUohyeah