Springfield, Ohio – After a stellar collegiate career that included three varsity letters in football at Wittenberg University, Kyle Sanning (Fairborn, Ohio/Tecumseh) is hard at work preparing for life after college. Recently, the former starting defensive end for the Tigers was a finalist for the prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Program.
Sanning, a first-team Capital One Academic All-America Division III All-District 7 honoree in 2013, was among 125 fall sport student-athletes selected as a finalist for the 2013-14 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Program. Just 29 men and 29 women were selected to receive awards from a pool of nominated student-athletes that originally numbered 357, with candidates coming from across the country and representing all three NCAA divisions.
Sanning has maintained an outstanding grade point average while majoring in mathematics during his collegiate career. He played one year of football at Notre Dame College (Ohio) before transferring to Wittenberg and helping the Tigers to two North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) championships and NCAA Division III Tournament berths in three seasons in the Red & White.
In 2013, Sanning finished fourth on the team with 65 tackles, including team-highs of 11 tackles for loss and seven sacks. He earned honorable mention All-NCAC following the season, which concluded with records of 10-2 overall and 9-0 in the league for the Tigers.
Active in community service activities at the Springfield YMCA and a volunteer at local youth football camps, Sanning was nominated for the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Program by Professor of Economics Jeff Ankrom and Associate Professor of Business Wendy Gradwohl, who also serve as Wittenberg’s Faculty Athletics Representatives. The nomination included letters of support from Tiger Football Head Coach Joe Fincham and Assistant Professor of Mathematics Adam Parker, who is Sanning’s academic advisor.
The NCAA awards a total of 174 postgraduate scholarships each year through the program, which was created in 1964 to promote and encourage postgraduate education. The scholarships are one-time, non-renewable grants worth $7,500.
Written By: Ryan Maurer