GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Among the almost 4,000 graduates celebrating their accomplishments in the University of Florida’s fall commencement ceremonies this weekend are 48 current and former Gator student-athletes. Thirty-one earn undergraduate degrees and 10 claim master’s doctor’s degrees. In addition, seven receive graduate or undergrad certificates.
Graduate Notes:
* Florida’s fall graduates includes 12 who were part of national or conference championship teams.
* Bobby Finke won double gold at the 2020 Summer Olympics (800<https://youtu.be/BBbmgqp0xII?si=oW6zAdNuCxNJIATe> and 1500<https://www.nbcolympics.com/videos/bobby-finke-turns-it-late-win-mens-1500-free-gold> freestyle).
* Anna Hall won heptathlon medals at the 2023<https://youtu.be/V2qOcmQyucg?si=rhg856rddHWA2y5l> (silver) and 2022<https://youtu.be/eMnHDhZhVQo?si=ehlLGoqPxQV7qeFP> (bronze) World Championships.
* Two were part of NCAA Championship teams – Anna Hall (2022 NCAA Indoor & Outdoor) and Jacory Patterson (2022 & 2023 NCAA Outdoor)
* The fall 2023 graduating class includes siblings Justin Curtis (football) and Josie Curtis (soccer)
* Ten completed advanced degrees – Samantha Bender (softball), Zippy Broughton (basketball), Justin Curtis (football), Emily Diaz (lacrosse), Will Harrod (football), Nina Kucheran (swimming), Teradja Mitchell (football), Kingsley Raitt-Eguakun (football), Kahlia Warner (diving) and Jacob Watkins (football)
* Kathleen Golding (swimming) graduates with her bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and also finished an undergraduate certificate in Project Management
* Nine compete for the Gators in spring 2024 – Zippy Broughton (basketball), Baylee Goddard (softball), Avery Goelz (softball), Miles Green (track & field), Michael Holloway II (track & field), Alex Klatsky (basketball), Aliyah Matharu (basketball), Blake Purnell (baseball) and Payton Richards (gymnastics)
* Five graduate cum laude – Ara Emerzian (football), Kyle Engel (football), Avery Goelz (softball), Rylee Trlicek (softball) and Kathleen Golding (swimming)
* Florida’s fall graduates earned 44 All-America honors.
* Among Florida’s graduates are 32 who earned Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll accolades.
University of Florida
Fall 2023 Graduating Student-Athletes
Name
Sport
Major
Blake Purnell
Baseball
Sport Management
Nick Ficarrotta
Baseball
Applied Physiology & Kinesiology
Alex Klatsky
Men’s Basketball
Information Systems
Zippy Broughton
Women’s Basketball
Master – Food & Resource Economics
Aliyah Matharu
Women’s Basketball
Education Sciences
Eddie Battle
Football
Education Sciences
Justin Curtis
Football
Master – Construction Management
Jeremy Crawshaw
Football
Sociology
Kyle Engel
Football
Construction Management
Ara Emerzian
Football
Management
Will Harrod
Football
Master – Tourism & Hospitality Management
Jaydon Hill
Football
Education Sciences
Jaelin Humphries
Football
Education Sciences
Jack Miller
Football
Education Sciences
Teradja Mitchell
Football
Master – Entrepreneurship
Jonathan Odom
Football
Education Sciences
Ricky Pearsall
Football
Education Sciences
Kingsley Raitt-Eguakun
Football
Master – Tourism & Hospitality Management
Jacob Watkins
Football
Master – Management
Ja’Markis Weston
Football
Education Sciences
Keon Zipperer
Football
Education Sciences
Payton Richards
Gymnastics
Family, Youth, & Consumer Sciences
Emily Diaz
Lacrosse
Master – Business Administration
Tessa Barton
Soccer
Education Sciences
Josie Curtis
Soccer
Psychology
Samantha Bender
Softball
Master – Health Education & Behavior
Baylee Goddard
Softball
Advertising
Avery Goelz
Softball
Criminology
Rylee Trlicek
Softball
Applied Physiology & Kinesiology
Bobby Finke
Men’s Swimming
Construction Management
Leonardo Garcia
Men’s Diving
Telecommunication
Alfonso Mestre
Men’s Swimming
Bachelor – Business Administration
Kathleen Golding
Women’s Swimming
Civil Engineering
Nina Kucheran
Women’s Swimming
Master – Applied Physiology & Kinesiology
Kahlia Warner
Women’s Diving
Master – Mental Health Counseling
Emma Shelton
Women’s Tennis
Finance
Jalen Chance
Men’s Track & Field
Telecommunication
Michael Holloway II
Men’s Track & Field
Telecommunication
Jacory Patterson
Men’s Track & Field
Education Sciences
Anna Hall
Women’s Track & Field
Business Administration, Gen. Studies
Nnedi Okammor
Volleyball
Linguistics
Certificates
Cameron Carroll
Football
Undergraduate Certificate – Sport Management
Micah Leon
Football
Undergraduate Certificate – Integrative Strength and Conditioning
Daviana Vaka
Soccer
Graduate Certificate – Sport Event Management
Kathleen Golding
Women’s Swimming
Undergraduate Certificate – Project Management
Miles Green
Men’s Track & Field
Graduate Certificate – Sport Event Management
Anna Dixon
Volleyball
Graduate Certificate – Sport Event Management
Kennedy Muff
Volleyball
Graduate Certificate – Social Media
