Aug. 22, 2011
CLEVELAND - Former San Diego State track and field athlete Sherraine Pencil was recently awarded a John McLendon Minority Postgraduate Scholarship, the National Associate of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) announced. Pencil was one of five winners of the prestigious scholarship, joining Oklahoma's Eric Bailey, Rutgers' Desron Dorset, Brown's Katherine Hyland and University of Texas at Dallas' Simone Jackson.
In her time at SDSU (2005-08), Pencil was an active member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee at both the conference and national levels. Additionally, Pencil served on the hiring committee for the new head track and field coach (Shelia Burrell), was a student assistant at the Aztec Athletic Foundation and a compliance intern. She also earned San Diego State University's Presidents "Top 25 Award."
The Toronto, Ontario native was a two-year team captain with the Aztecs, three-time member of the Mountain West Track and Field Outdoor All-Conference Team and a three-time NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship qualifier. A scholar-athlete, Pencil also represented SDSU at the Canadian National Track and Field Championship in 2007 and 2008.
In May 2009, Pencil earned a bachelor's degree in sociology and political science from SDSU. After graduation, she obtained a governance internship at the Big Ten Conference and is now enrolled in graduate school at the University of Oklahoma, studying adult and higher education - intercollegiate athletics administration where she serves as an athletics diversity council graduate assistant.
The John McLendon Minority Postgraduate Scholarship Awards are presented to senior-level minority students who intend to pursue a graduate degree in athletics administration. Students were required to have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and have demonstrated leadership qualities on an institutional or community level. The winners will each receive a $10,000 grant to be used towards postgraduate studies in athletics administration.