Lansing Sun

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State University (MSU) field hockey student-athlete Ashley Harlock and cross country/track and field student-athlete Joshua Smith have been awarded the 2024 Big Ten Postgraduate Scholarships. The conference office annually provides two student-athletes from each of the 14 Big Ten institutions a $7,500 scholarship based primarily on academic achievements. This award is intended for athletes who plan to continue their education in a graduate degree program.

Each Big Ten institution has its own selection process for awarding these scholarships. Eligible student-athletes must maintain at least a 3.2 grade-point average (GPA), demonstrate leadership qualities, serve as role models, and intend to pursue further academic work beyond their baccalaureate degree.

Harlock, recipient of this year's Dr. James Feurig Achievement and Service Award, concluded her MSU career as a three-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and Academic All-Big Ten honoree. She graduated from MSU's Honors College in May with a perfect 4.0 GPA as a double major in neuroscience and human biology. Harlock earned spots on the Dean's List every semester at MSU and was nominated by MSU for the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship while being named a national finalist for the Marshall Scholarship.

At the Student-Athlete Support Services Academic Gala, she received both the President's Award (for having the highest GPA among MSU's graduating student-athletes) and the Gwendolyn Norrell Community Service and Leadership Award. Additionally, she was honored as the female recipient of the 2024 Big Ten Wayne Duke Postgraduate Scholarship.

During her senior season, Harlock served as team captain and was named MSU's Big Ten Sportsmanship Award winner in 2023. Over her career, she played in 65 games with 44 starts in midfield, registering three goals and seven assists. She is now pursuing a Neuroscience PhD program at the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.

Smith, from Alpena, Michigan, is an eight-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and four-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar. He maintained his place on the Dean's List every semester at MSU while working as a physical therapy intern and rehabilitation specialist at Ivy Rehab.

During his time at MSU, Smith earned Great Lakes All-Region selection during the 2023 cross country season, contributing to his team's third-place finish at the Big Ten Cross Country Championships and fifth place at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional last fall. In his final season at MSU, he set personal bests of 14:11.58 in the 5000 meters and 30:21.19 in the 10,000 meters while also being named MSU's Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Recipient during that season.

Smith graduated with a GPA of 3.952 as a kinesiology major with a minor in health promotion and is now pursuing his doctorate of physical therapy at Central Michigan University.