April 26, 2007

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - One of the largest senior classes in University of Memphis history gathered for one last time on Thursday afternoon for a luncheon hosted by the M-Club.

Each head coached presented their senior student-athletes with a certificate and four student-athletes received special awards. Volleyball's Christen Clayton received the Elma Roane Award, the top award a female student-athlete at the University of Memphis can receive, while football's Rusty Clayton was named the Male Scholar Athlete. The Female Scholar Athlete award was shared by two people, softball pitcher Jenna Kubesch and women's tennis player Christina Wieser.

Christen Clayton capped her four year Tiger career with AVCA All-Midwest Honorable Mention honors after the senior co-captain was noted as the league's top libero when she was named the 2006 C-USA Libero of the Year. She also was a Second Team All C-USA pick as well as an ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District 4 Third Team honoree. Clayton reset Memphis' single-season digs records in 2005 and 2006 en route to claiming the program's all-time digs record with 1,812. She is fourth all-time in Conference USA in career digs. Clayton is one of four Tiger volleyball players to ever post 30 or more digs in a match, when she set a personal-best with 32 digs in a five-game win over Rice. That mark is tied for second in Memphis' single-match recordbook.

Rusty Clayton was named to the C-USA All-Academic Team and was a first-team selection on the All-Conference USA squad. At the team banquet, he was named the co-Special Teams Player of the Year, along with punter Michael Gibson. Clayton is working on a master's degree in criminal justice after already earning degrees in history and psychology. A native of Sumrall, Miss., Clayton is an Eagle Scout and former member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes leadership team. His community service includes working with a youth football team, volunteering at Special Olympics events and assisting with various youth football camps. Kubesch, who has been named the Conference USA Pitcher of the week two times already this season, and was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV First Team following last season.

Kubesch, who already has one degree in journalism and public relations, has been recognized on the Tiger 3.0 Club, the Dean's List and the Tiger Academic 30 in each her semesters at Memphis. She has also been named to the C-USA Academic Honor and received the Commissioner's Academic Medal. Wieser recently capped her collegiate career by being named to the Conference USA All-Academic Team as the lone senior representative of the seven members selected. The Kilb, Austria, native will complete her MBA in May of 2007, meaning she will leave the U of M with two degrees in four years. A multiple-time member of the C-USA Academic Honor Roll, Wieser was also an ITA Scholar-Athlete, a member of the Dean's List and the Tiger 3.0 Club and a Tiger Top 30 and Commissioner's Medalist honoree.

Final exams begin at the University of Memphis on Friday, with graduation scheduled for Saturday, May 5th, at FedExForum. The 10 a.m. ceremony will be for graduates in the Schools of Audiology, University College, Communications & Fine Arts and Arts & Sciences. The 2 p.m. ceremony will be for graduates in engineering, education, nursing and business.