University of Georgia Athletics
Georgia's Bridget Lyons Awarded NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship
June 21, 2011 | Track & Field
June 21, 2011
ATHENS, Ga. --- Georgia distance runner Bridget Lyons has been chosen as a 2011 recipient of an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.
Lyons will receive a $7,500 Postgraduate Scholarship from the NCAA, which awards 87 to women and 87 to men annually. Overall, Georgia has 66 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipients.
"Bridget has been an absolute delight to have in the program here at Georgia," Georgia track and field head coach Wayne Norton. "She has been highly decorated with commendations and scholarships all since the rest of the world has found out about her. Coach (Jeff) Pigg and I already knew and could have told everyone how wonderful she is."
Lyons, a native of Evans, Ga., graduated with a 3.88 GPA in May 2010 with degrees in Biology and Spanish. She was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society and the Alpha Epsilon Delta premedical honor society as well as being a Presidential Scholar at Georgia. Lyons was also a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and the Delta Epsilon Iota academic honor society.
Already in 2011, she received the overall "Peach of an Athlete Award," given by the Atlanta area Boy Scout Council to standout student-athletes participating in outstanding community service. Lyons also received a $6,000 award from the Southeastern Conference as Georgia's nominee for the Brad Davis Community Service Leader of the Year award and postgraduate scholarship. She also earned U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Team honors.
On the track, Lyons completed her career by racing in the 10,000-meter run finals at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, during the second week in June. She qualified for nationals at the NCAA East Preliminary Round on May 26 to advance to her second straight NCAA meet.
The former walk-on finished second in both the 5000 and 10,000 finals at the 2011 SEC Outdoor Championships in Athens. She was Georgia's high-point scorer with 16 points at the meet.
Lyons finished her career ranked second on Georgia's all-time top-10 list in the 10,000 (33:31.14) and third in the UGA record books in the outdoor 5000 (16:23.32). She captured a conference title with a win in the 10,000 meters and was Georgia's top scorer (14 points) at the 2010 SEC Outdoor Championships. Lyons also had a runner-up finish in the 5000 meters at the 2010 SEC Indoors as well.
Lyons was a co-captain on the 2009 Lady Bulldog cross country team and deferred dental school in 2011 in order to run another year for Georgia.
The daughter of Jill Miller and Mike Lyons, she was the student-athlete representative to the UGA Athletic Association Board of Directors.
The NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship was created in 1964 to promote and encourage postgraduate education by rewarding the most accomplished student-athletes through their participation in NCAA championship and/or emerging sports. Athletics and academic achievements, as well as campus involvement, community service, volunteer activities and demonstrated leadership, are evaluated.
Georgia swimmers Chelsea Nauta and Mark Dylla both were chosen as other recipients of an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship in the spring.
