Washburn Wins Postgraduate Scholarship

Recent Muhlenberg graduate and softball standout Nicole Washburn

Washburn is the 13th NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipient in Muhlenberg history and the fourth in the last two years.

has been awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.

The NCAA annually awards 174 postgraduate scholarships of $7,500 each. Washburn won one of 29 given to female athletes in all three divisions who participated in spring sports, which include softball, golf, outdoor track and field, rowing, tennis and lacrosse.

To qualify for an NCAA postgraduate scholarship, a student-athlete must have an overall grade-point average of 3.200 (on a 4.000 scale) or its equivalent and must have performed with distinction as a member of the varsity team in the sport in which the student-athlete was nominated. The student-athlete also must intend to continue academic work beyond the baccalaureate degree as a full-time or part-time graduate student.

Washburn, who graduated magna cum laude with highest honors in biology, is planning to continue her studies in molecular cell biology at the University of Connecticut. While at Muhlenberg, she earned membership in Phi Beta Kappa and received the Dr. James R. Vaughan ’52 Student Research Award (for summer research study), Todd L. Romig Memorial Prize (as a junior who most exemplifies the true characteristics of a student-athlete), Novartis Endowed Science Scholars Program Award (for a science major intending to pursue an advanced degree in the sciences) and Caroline Willis Richardson Award (as the senior softball player with the highest GPA).

A four-year starting pitcher for the Mules, Washburn finished her career with 26 wins, including seven shutouts, and was named to the All-Centennial Conference first team in 2006. She ranks fifth in team history in ERA (2.50), sixth in strikeouts (198) and seventh in complete games (36).

Washburn also was heavily involved in the life of the College apart from athletics, as a member of Cardinal Key Society and peer tutor.