- NCAA Release

CANYON, Texas – West Texas A&M's Heidi Vortherms has been announced as one of 42 recipients of a $10,000 postgraduate scholarship awarded by the NCAA for the 2024-25 spring semester. All recipients have demonstrated remarkable academic achievements, athletic excellence and leadership within their communities.
 
Vortherms posted a 2.05 ERA with 135 strikeouts in 133.1 innings pitched over 35 appearances and 28 starts. The Sioux Falls, South Dakota native finished the season with a 20-3 record with five complete games and two shutouts with opponents hitting .234 against the senior pitcher. The Lady Buffs finished the 2025 campaign with a 56-8 record including 40-4 in Lone Star Conference play, claiming a share of the regular season title.
 
Each year, the NCAA awards 126 postgraduate scholarships to student-athletes who have completed their final year of athletics competition. The scholarships are distributed three times annually — in the fall, winter and spring — providing 21 scholarships each to men and women per season. The award is a one-time, nonrenewable scholarship aimed at funding graduate study at an accredited institution.
 
Established in 1964, the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship program promotes and encourages graduate education by recognizing the Association's most accomplished student-athletes. The program evaluates candidates on their athletic and academic achievements, campus involvement, community service and leadership. An equitable selection process ensures that all nominees, regardless of sport, division, gender or race, are considered fairly.
 
Men's Awardees

• Pablo Alemany Malea, Memphis, tennis
• Drake Ballard, Purdue Northwest, baseball
• Petar Basic Palkovic, Wingate, tennis
• Jamie Butler, Toledo, golf
• Morgan Conner, Nebraska Wesleyan, outdoor track and field
• Mason Cox, Martin Luther, baseball
• Braeden Duncan, Aurora, golf
• Reece Farrow, Adelphi, tennis
• Leo Freeland, Wingate, outdoor track and field
• Patrick Herrera, Kentucky, baseball
• Alan Jesudason, Tennessee, tennis
• Agustin Kalinowski, Hendrix, tennis
• Bennett Markinson, Northwestern, baseball
• Nick Melanese, Cal State San Marcos, outdoor track and field
• Divgurjot Singh, Benedict, tennis
• Ishaan Tibrewal, Grinnell, tennis
• Florian Walcher, Wingate, tennis
• Brandon Walker, Idaho State, outdoor track and field
• Jeffrey "Kirk" Waller, University of Chicago, baseball
• Hunter Wallster, South Dakota State, outdoor track and field
• Spencer Watry, Emory, outdoor track and field

Women's Awardees

• Savanna Brooks, Wingate, softball
• Megan Bunker, Regis (Colorado), lacrosse
• Avery Decker, Nebraska Wesleyan, outdoor track and field
• Liz Dierks, Augustana (South Dakota), softball
• Ella Ford, Nebraska Wesleyan, tennis
• Elizabeth Hennessey, Colby, lacrosse
• Leandra Hogrefe, Ohio State, rowing
• Anna Igims, Slippery Rock, outdoor track and field
• Janaki Jagannathan, Wooster, tennis
• Emma Kelley, Washington University in St. Louis, outdoor track and field
• Kylee Loewe, Texas Tech, golf
• Lucia Lopez Ortega, San Jose State, golf
• Phoebe McCowan, Kentucky, outdoor track and field
• Charlotte Newport, Augustana (Illinois), water polo
• Lanie Nitsch, Texas, rowing
• Michaela Pomatto, Stockton, outdoor track and field
• Jenna Rogers, Nebraska, outdoor track and field
• Darja Vidmanova, Georgia, tennis
• Heidi Vortherms, West Texas A&M, softball
• Jami Watson, East Central, softball
• Angie Zhou, Pomona-Pitzer, tennis