FSU sports information:
A record 20 students who earned perfect 4.0 grade point averages during the 2023-24 academic year were among the 30 student-athletes honored as Golden Torch Award winners by the FSU Department of Athletics and the Seminole Boosters during the Seminoles’ game against Memphis on Bobby Bowden Field at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. The student-athletes with the highest grade point averages on each Seminole team, along with the one women’s (golf) and one men’s team (tennis) with the highest cumulative team GPA, were recognized.
Academically, the student-athletes on the 20 Seminole teams combined to earn Academic All-American honors by five different student-athletes, Academic All-District Honors by 38 different student-athletes, had 177 student-athletes named to their All-ACC Academic Teams, and had 289 student-athletes named to the 2024 ACC Academic Honor Roll.
“The Golden Torch awards are a tremendous way to recognize the academic excellence of our student-athletes,” said Florida State University Vice President and Director of Athletics Michael Alford. “They continue to showcase the opportunities at Florida State to receive a top-tier education with championship experiences on the field. I’m proud of the work of our student-athletes in the classroom, as well as the support from our academic staff and coaches to emphasize the importance of a quality education. In addition to the individuals honored from each team, it was great to recognize our women’s golf team, which boasts the No. 1-ranked women’s amateur player in the world, and our defending ACC champion men’s tennis team as the winners of the highest cumulative team GPA in another shining example of combining success in the classroom and in competition.”
The nationally ranked women’s golf team, which finished in 11th place in the NCAA Championship Finals in 2024, was recognized with the highest GPA (3.674) among the women’s athletics teams at Florida State. It marks the 10th time (and fifth time under Head Coach Amy Bond) since 1991 that the women’s golf team has earned the highest GPA in a given year.
“The words student-athlete are an important part of our program,” said Bond of the women’s golf team. “Our players dedicate themselves not only on the golf course but in the classroom. Golfers miss more class time than any other student-athletes, and they are disciplined in doing their work on the road. I am very proud of what they accomplished last year in having the highest GPA in the entire athletic department. This was a huge accomplishment and something they should all be proud of.”
The ACC Champion men’s tennis team, which finished with a No. 10 national ranking in 2024, was recognized as having the highest team GPA (3.302) among the Florida State men’s teams. It marks the 11th time (and ninth time under head coach Dwayne Hultquist) the men’s tennis team has earned the award.
“We are honored to win the Golden Torch team award again this year,” said Hultquist. “We feel when we take care of schoolwork, our team plays its best tennis.”
Four members of the No. 4 ranked beach volleyball team were presented with Golden Torch Awards as each player earned perfect 4.0 GPA’s, including senior Paige Kalkhoff.
"At Florida State, excellence is the benchmark, and I embrace this standard wholeheartedly,” said Kalkhoff, who graduated from Florida State with a degree in public health in 2024. “I am dedicated to giving my best effort not only on the court but also in the classroom, the training room, and in every facet of my daily life. My commitment to academic success and athletic prowess is fueled by a drive to exceed expectations and achieve excellence in all I do. Whether it’s pushing my limits in practice or rehab, maintaining top academic performance, or demonstrating integrity and leadership, I am determined to excel and make a positive impact both on and off the court."
Gray Albright, of the No. 2 ranked men’s golf team, earned the Golden Torch award for the men’s golf team. He has been named to the All-ACC Academic Honor Roll three times and was included as a member of the 2024 All-ACC Academic Men’s Golf Team. Albright earned his degree in real estate development from Florida State in 2024.
"My parents taught me from a young age to get good grades and that it would pay off in the future,” said Albright. “Success in the classroom goes hand in hand with success on the golf course. My ultimate goals include being a successful student and helping Florida State be successful on the golf course.”
The Florida State Department of Athletics, in conjunction with Seminole Boosters, Inc., has presented the Golden Torch Awards to the top Seminole student-athletes since 1991. The ACC Honor Roll student-athletes, as well as the individuals with the highest GPA on their respective teams, and the men’s and women’s teams with the highest Grade Point Averages are recognized as Golden Torch Award winners.
2024 Florida State Athletics Golden Torch Winners
Women’s Team Winner: Women’s Golf
Men’s Team Winner: Men’s Tennis
Baseball, Daniel Cantu, 4.00, Graduate, Athletic Coaching (Graduate Certificate)
Men’s Basketball Jesse Jones, 3.925, Junior, Finance
Men’s Cross Country, David Mullarkey, 3.844, Senior, Public Health
Football, Shyheim Brown, 3.950, Junior, Social Science
Men’s Golf, Gray Albright, 3.500, Senior, Real Estate
Men’s Swimming and Diving, Eli Butters, 4.00, Junior, Statistics
Men’s Swimming and Diving, Jesco Helling, 4.00, Senior, Chemical Engineering
Men’s Swimming and Diving, Stephen Speck, 4.00, Senior, Sociology
Men’s Tennis, Justin Lyons, 3.780, Freshman, Exploratory
Men’s Track and Field, David Mullarkey, 3.844, Senior, Public Health
Beach Volleyball, Morgan Chacon, 4.00, Senior, Athletic Coaching
Beach Volleyball, Kaeli Crews, 4.00, Senior, Social and Sustainable Enterprises
Beach Volleyball, Paige Kalkhoff, 4.00, Junior, Public Health
Beach Volleyball, Carra Sassack, 4.00, Sophomore, Sport Management
Soccer, Lauren Flynn, 4.00, Senior, Public Administration (Master’s)
Soccer, Heather Gilchrist, 4.00, Sophomore, Finance
Soccer, Beata Olsson, 4.00, Junior, Environment and Policy
Softball, Kaley Mudge, 4.00, Graduate, Athletic Coaching (Graduate Certificate)
Volleyball, Maddie Snider, 3.971, Freshman, Pre-Exercise Physiology
Women’s Basketball, Avery Treadwell, 4.00, Senior, Chemical Engineering
Women’s Cross Country, Jane Eiselstein, 4.00, Senor, Athletic Training
Women’s Cross Country, Olivia Niewald, 4.00, Junior, Biological Sciences
Women’s Cross Country, Ava Povich, 4.00, Senior, Exercise Physiology
Women’s Cross Country, Hannah Schemmel, Junior, 4.00, Computer Science
Women’s Cross Country, Dani Thompson, Junior, 4.00, Behavioral Neuroscience
Women’s Golf, Lottie Woad, 3.972, Sophomore, Sport Management
Women’s Swimming and Diving, Kayleigh Clark, 4.00, Psychology
Women’s Swimming and Diving, Skylar Ruffner, 4.00, Junior, Behavioral Neuroscience
Women’s Tennis, Vic Allen, 4.00, Senior, Sport Management (Master’s)
Women’s Track and Field, Tori Carroll, 4.00, Graduate, Athletic Coaching (Graduate Certificate)
A record 20 students who earned perfect 4.0 grade point averages during the 2023-24 academic year were among the 30 student-athletes honored as Golden Torch Award winners by the FSU Department of Athletics and the Seminole Boosters during the Seminoles’ game against Memphis on Bobby Bowden Field at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. The student-athletes with the highest grade point averages on each Seminole team, along with the one women’s (golf) and one men’s team (tennis) with the highest cumulative team GPA, were recognized.
Academically, the student-athletes on the 20 Seminole teams combined to earn Academic All-American honors by five different student-athletes, Academic All-District Honors by 38 different student-athletes, had 177 student-athletes named to their All-ACC Academic Teams, and had 289 student-athletes named to the 2024 ACC Academic Honor Roll.
“The Golden Torch awards are a tremendous way to recognize the academic excellence of our student-athletes,” said Florida State University Vice President and Director of Athletics Michael Alford. “They continue to showcase the opportunities at Florida State to receive a top-tier education with championship experiences on the field. I’m proud of the work of our student-athletes in the classroom, as well as the support from our academic staff and coaches to emphasize the importance of a quality education. In addition to the individuals honored from each team, it was great to recognize our women’s golf team, which boasts the No. 1-ranked women’s amateur player in the world, and our defending ACC champion men’s tennis team as the winners of the highest cumulative team GPA in another shining example of combining success in the classroom and in competition.”
The nationally ranked women’s golf team, which finished in 11th place in the NCAA Championship Finals in 2024, was recognized with the highest GPA (3.674) among the women’s athletics teams at Florida State. It marks the 10th time (and fifth time under Head Coach Amy Bond) since 1991 that the women’s golf team has earned the highest GPA in a given year.
“The words student-athlete are an important part of our program,” said Bond of the women’s golf team. “Our players dedicate themselves not only on the golf course but in the classroom. Golfers miss more class time than any other student-athletes, and they are disciplined in doing their work on the road. I am very proud of what they accomplished last year in having the highest GPA in the entire athletic department. This was a huge accomplishment and something they should all be proud of.”
The ACC Champion men’s tennis team, which finished with a No. 10 national ranking in 2024, was recognized as having the highest team GPA (3.302) among the Florida State men’s teams. It marks the 11th time (and ninth time under head coach Dwayne Hultquist) the men’s tennis team has earned the award.
“We are honored to win the Golden Torch team award again this year,” said Hultquist. “We feel when we take care of schoolwork, our team plays its best tennis.”
Four members of the No. 4 ranked beach volleyball team were presented with Golden Torch Awards as each player earned perfect 4.0 GPA’s, including senior Paige Kalkhoff.
"At Florida State, excellence is the benchmark, and I embrace this standard wholeheartedly,” said Kalkhoff, who graduated from Florida State with a degree in public health in 2024. “I am dedicated to giving my best effort not only on the court but also in the classroom, the training room, and in every facet of my daily life. My commitment to academic success and athletic prowess is fueled by a drive to exceed expectations and achieve excellence in all I do. Whether it’s pushing my limits in practice or rehab, maintaining top academic performance, or demonstrating integrity and leadership, I am determined to excel and make a positive impact both on and off the court."
Gray Albright, of the No. 2 ranked men’s golf team, earned the Golden Torch award for the men’s golf team. He has been named to the All-ACC Academic Honor Roll three times and was included as a member of the 2024 All-ACC Academic Men’s Golf Team. Albright earned his degree in real estate development from Florida State in 2024.
"My parents taught me from a young age to get good grades and that it would pay off in the future,” said Albright. “Success in the classroom goes hand in hand with success on the golf course. My ultimate goals include being a successful student and helping Florida State be successful on the golf course.”
The Florida State Department of Athletics, in conjunction with Seminole Boosters, Inc., has presented the Golden Torch Awards to the top Seminole student-athletes since 1991. The ACC Honor Roll student-athletes, as well as the individuals with the highest GPA on their respective teams, and the men’s and women’s teams with the highest Grade Point Averages are recognized as Golden Torch Award winners.
2024 Florida State Athletics Golden Torch Winners
Women’s Team Winner: Women’s Golf
Men’s Team Winner: Men’s Tennis
Baseball, Daniel Cantu, 4.00, Graduate, Athletic Coaching (Graduate Certificate)
Men’s Basketball Jesse Jones, 3.925, Junior, Finance
Men’s Cross Country, David Mullarkey, 3.844, Senior, Public Health
Football, Shyheim Brown, 3.950, Junior, Social Science
Men’s Golf, Gray Albright, 3.500, Senior, Real Estate
Men’s Swimming and Diving, Eli Butters, 4.00, Junior, Statistics
Men’s Swimming and Diving, Jesco Helling, 4.00, Senior, Chemical Engineering
Men’s Swimming and Diving, Stephen Speck, 4.00, Senior, Sociology
Men’s Tennis, Justin Lyons, 3.780, Freshman, Exploratory
Men’s Track and Field, David Mullarkey, 3.844, Senior, Public Health
Beach Volleyball, Morgan Chacon, 4.00, Senior, Athletic Coaching
Beach Volleyball, Kaeli Crews, 4.00, Senior, Social and Sustainable Enterprises
Beach Volleyball, Paige Kalkhoff, 4.00, Junior, Public Health
Beach Volleyball, Carra Sassack, 4.00, Sophomore, Sport Management
Soccer, Lauren Flynn, 4.00, Senior, Public Administration (Master’s)
Soccer, Heather Gilchrist, 4.00, Sophomore, Finance
Soccer, Beata Olsson, 4.00, Junior, Environment and Policy
Softball, Kaley Mudge, 4.00, Graduate, Athletic Coaching (Graduate Certificate)
Volleyball, Maddie Snider, 3.971, Freshman, Pre-Exercise Physiology
Women’s Basketball, Avery Treadwell, 4.00, Senior, Chemical Engineering
Women’s Cross Country, Jane Eiselstein, 4.00, Senor, Athletic Training
Women’s Cross Country, Olivia Niewald, 4.00, Junior, Biological Sciences
Women’s Cross Country, Ava Povich, 4.00, Senior, Exercise Physiology
Women’s Cross Country, Hannah Schemmel, Junior, 4.00, Computer Science
Women’s Cross Country, Dani Thompson, Junior, 4.00, Behavioral Neuroscience
Women’s Golf, Lottie Woad, 3.972, Sophomore, Sport Management
Women’s Swimming and Diving, Kayleigh Clark, 4.00, Psychology
Women’s Swimming and Diving, Skylar Ruffner, 4.00, Junior, Behavioral Neuroscience
Women’s Tennis, Vic Allen, 4.00, Senior, Sport Management (Master’s)
Women’s Track and Field, Tori Carroll, 4.00, Graduate, Athletic Coaching (Graduate Certificate)
