Seven student-athletes represent Razorback excellence

FAYETTEVILLE – The University of Arkansas Athletics Department and the Razorback Foundation hosts its annual Razorback Red Tie Dinner, Auction and Salute to Excellence Awards banquet Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013, at the Embassy Suites in Rogers, Ark.

This year marks the 16th season the Razorbacks have honored a student-athletes who have excelled in the competition arena, the classroom and the community. 

“This year we are very pleased to celebrate our largest group of honorees ever at the Red Tie Salute to Excellence as these seven extraordinary student-athletes will be recognized for the tremendous impact they had on their teammates, campus and community,” Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Jeff Long said.  “Each of these individuals exhibited leadership and dedication to the University of Arkansas and the emphasis on the mission of our athletic department as they continuously worked to reach their highest potential in all aspects of their lives while inspiring and motivating others to do the same. We are proud of their accomplishments and we look forward to what has continued to be a special evening for us as we join together to celebrate their collective efforts.”

The 2012-13 honorees include Razorback Athletes of the Year Tyler Wilson (football) and Jaime Pisani (gymnastics); Razorback Scholar-Athlete award winners Austin Cook (men’s golf) and Hope McLemore (softball); and the Spirit of the Razorback award winners Alfred Davis (football) and Emily Tubert (women’s golf).  In addition, a special recognition award will be presented to Patience Beard (cheerleading).

Each year, the Razorbacks recognize student-athletes whose performance throughout his or her career serves to lift up their sport to new heights and whose character exemplifies the goals of the athletic department.
In addition to the dinner, attendees will enjoy a social hour before dinner as well as live and silent auctions.

This year's event takes place at the Embassy Suites in Rogers, Ark., and tickets are available to the general public for $100 each.  In addition, table sponsorships are available.  For tickets or more information about being a sponsor call Elizabeth Sullivan at 479-575-7141 or email her at esullivan@razorbackfoundation.com


2011-12 SALUTE TO EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNERS
SCHOLAR-ATHLETE AWARD
Austin Cook    Men’s Golf    Senior
* SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2011.
* Holds a career stroke average of 73.48 which ranks 11th best in school history.
* SEC Community Service Award honoree in 2011.
* Four top five and 18 top 20 finishes in his career.
* PING Honorable Mention All-American as a sophomore.
* Two top 25 finishes at the SEC Championships.
* Career individual record of 1,922-918-126 (.669) and has a record of 266-67-19 (.783) this season.
* 66 of his 82 rounds over the last three season have counted toward Arkansas’ team score (.805)
* Athletic Department academic honors every semester and SEC academic honors every season.
* GTE Capital One First-Team Academic All-District VI in 2012.

Hope McLemore    Softball    Senior
* Captain and a pitcher
* Majoring in health sciences and is pre-med as a senior
* She holds a 4.0 GPA
* 2010 NFCA scholar-athlete
* 2011 Academic Champion
* 2012 All-SEC academic team
* Been on every chancellor’s list while attending University of Arkansas
* Returned from surgery last season and got second win on the season in the opening game of the NCAA Tournament against Boston University in the Berkeley Regional where she struck out six batters and allowed no walks in the 3-2 win over the Terriers
* Career Development Liaison of the Razorback Student-Athlete Advisory Committee
* Fellowship of Christian Athletes Leadership Team Member
* Member of the Alpha Epsilon Delta (national pre-med honor society)
* 360 Leader in our Razorback Leadership Academy
* President of Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots - UofA Chapter

RAZORBACK SPIRIT AWARD
Alfred Davis    Football    Junior
* Graduated in May with bachelor’s degree in sports management
* Has appeared in 40 consecutive games
* Very active in the community
* Has taken part in Razorback Leadership Academy
* Visited Little Rock Children Hospital, Dallas Children Hospital and New Orleans Children Hospital
* Signed autographs and took pictures with Big Brothers and Big Sisters
* Helped raise money for the Shop With The Razorbacks; SAAC at Toys-r-Us
* Book Hogs Read To Win Program
* Sweat Hawgs Program
* Read Across America at Holcomb Elementary
* Took pictures and signed autographs with the local Boy Scout Troop
* Spoke at Tyson Middle School about test preparation
* Lift Up America, Feeding The Hunger In Northwest Arkansas  
* Book Hogs Pizza Party at Bud Walton Arena: Grand Prize Winning class.
* Picked up trash and help with clean up at the Boys and Girls Club
* Volunteered for the Joplin Tornado Disaster Relief
* Helped coach Fayetteville High School football team in Spring of 2012 as part of internship

Emily Tubert    Women’s Golf    Junior
* Two-time First-Team All-America
* First-Team All-SEC and National Golf Coaches Association All-Scholar team honors in 2012
* Paced the team to the program’s 10th NCAA Regional Championship and the team’s fifth NCAA Championship
* Led Arkansas with a 72.50 stroke average and shot 0.77 versus par in 2011-12
* Four rounds in the 60’s and 14 rounds of par or better
* Tubert finished her season as the top-ranked player in the SEC and the second-ranked collegiate player in the
* Four-time member of the Arkansas Athletic Department Academic Honor Roll
* SAAC President
* SEC Freshman of the Year (2011)

RAZORBACK ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
Tyler Wilson    Football    Senior
* Senior CLASS Award Candidate
* Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Finalist
* Holds 26 school records, including career completion percentage (62.2)
* Leads NCAA in passes of 60-plus yards (6)
* Leads NCAA in passes of 50-plus yards (8)
* Tied for NCAA lead in passes of 70-plus yards (3)
* Leads SEC and is tied for 2nd in NCAA in passes of 40-plus yards (11)
* Leads SEC and is tied for 2nd in NCAA in passes of 30-plus yards (18)
* Tied for SEC lead and 2nd in NCAA in passes of 80-plus yards (1)
* SEC active career leader and 2nd among active players in NCAA in total offense per play average (7.55)
* Leads SEC and ranks 2nd in NCAA in yards per completion (15.8)
* Leads SEC and ranks 4th in NCAA in total offense yards per play (9.03)
* Tied for SEC lead and 7th in NCAA in passes of 25+ yards (21)
* Leads SEC and ranks 7th in NCAA in passing yards per game (326.2)
* Ranks 2nd SEC and 12th in NCAA in yards per pass attempt (9.5)
* Ranks 2nd in SEC and 16th in NCAA in total offense yards per game (328.2)
* Ranks 3rd on UA’s all-time career passing yards list (6,335)
* Ranks 4th on UA’s all-time career total yards list (6,296)
* Ranks 5th on UA’s all-time career passing touchdowns list (45)
* Ranks 5th on UA’s all-time career completions list (468)
* Ranks 6th on UA’s all-time career pass attempts list (752)
* Ranks 7th on UA’s all-time career touchdown responsibility list (49)
* Ranks 9th on UA’s all-time career total plays list (834)
* Named to Maxwell Award Watch List
* Named to Walter Camp Player of the Year Award Watch List
* Named to Davey O’Brien Award Watch List
* Named to Manning Award Watch List
* Selected as preseason first-team All-SEC (Coaches and Media)
* 2012 team captain

Jaime Pisani    Gymnastics    Graduate
* 2012 (Senior Year Info)
* First-team All-American in the all-around, on floor and on beam
* Second-team All-American on bars
* Finished third in the nation in the all-around, ninth on floor, 12th on beam
* Ranked No. 1 in the nation for four weeks in the all-around
* Ranked No. 1 in the nation on floor for eight weeks
* First Razorback to earn No. 1 rankings in either event
* Also ranked No. 7 on beam, No. 9 on bars and No. 15 on vault
* 2012 SEC Gymnast of the Year
* 2012 SEC beam champion, first-team All-SEC, SEC Gymnast of the Week
* Won 35 individual event titles
* Set or tied school records with a 39.725 in the all-around, 9.975 on floor, 9.95 on beam and 9.95 on bars
* Her 39.725 all-around and 9.975 on floor were the best scores in the nation for the year
* Led Arkansas to first No. 1 team ranking in school history and No. 1 ranking on bars
* Led Razorbacks to NCAA Championship, to the Super Six and to a national sixth-place finish
* Won NCAA Regional titles in the all-around and on beam
* Won beam and floor in the NCAA Session II semifinal to send team to the Super Six
* Earned two NCAA postgraduate scholarships – NCAA Winter Sports, and NCAA Ethnic Minority and Women’s Enhancement
* College Sports Information Directors of America Capital One national Academic All-American
* Earned bachelor’s in kinesiology with cumulative GPA of 3.66
* Set school records with 13 career All-America honors and 94 career event wins
* Pisani currently works as the Razorbacks Director of Gymnastics Operations


RAZORBACK SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD
Patience Beard    Cheerleading    Freshman
* Weekly nominee for the 2012 Discover Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award, to be announced at the end of the season
* Beard, a freshman from Texarkana, Texas, made the Razorbacks’ cheerleading squad despite a prosthetic left leg
* Becoming known as “the girl with the zebra leg,” a reference to the special design of the prosthetic she wears
* Born with a proximal femoral focal deficiency, which affects bone growth
* At age 9 months, her left leg was amputated, but it barely slowed her down
* Participated in gymnastics as a child, took up cheerleading in middle school and was homecoming queen last year at Texas High School
* Arkansas cheerleading/spirit coordinator Jean Nail said Beard is able to perform all of the required stunts and routines