MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A group of 19 Alabama State University student athletes were among the nearly 500 graduates recognized during the university's 281st Commencement ceremony held Saturday at the Dunn-Oliver Acadome.

The student athlete contingency was comprised of participants from eight of ASU's sponsored sports programs featuring 12 honors degree recipients and including a pair of Summa Cum Laude honorees.

A crowd of more than 7,000 attendees were treated to graduation remarks from commencement speaker Dr. Belle S. Wheelen, president of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

In addition, the commencement ceremony included the presentation of honorary degrees to nine students expelled for their participation in the historic 1960 Student Sit-in Movement. ASU President Dr. William H. Harris reinstated the group of students during a February ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of the sit-in movement.

The following is a list of ASU's student-athlete graduates for this year:

Bachelor of Arts
Dominique Elston (Bowling) – Communications, Cum Laude

Bachelor of Science
Whitney Austin (Women's Track) – Psychology, Cum Laude
Jason Bruce (Football) – Elementary Education
Anthony Burney Jr. (Football) – Management, Cum Laude
Ian Burt (Men's Tennis) – Mathematics, Magna Cum Laude
Robert Childers (Football) – Criminal Justice
Kyle Demeester (Men's Golf) – Accounting, Summa Cum Laude
Adrian Hardy (Football) – Criminal Justice
Dawn Hermanes (Women's Track) – Psychology, Cum Laude
Rechard Johnson (Football) - Finance
Kamerel Kendrick (Men's Track) – Health Information Management, Cum Laude
Veronique Lamontagne (Women's Soccer) – Biology, Cum Laude
Brittany McKinney (Bowling) - Management
Tramayne Moorer (Men's Basketball) – Physical Education Teaching
Chelsea Nash (Women's Soccer) – Criminal Justice
Christopher Preer (Football) – Criminal Justice, Cum Laude
Brendan Prouse (Men's Golf) – Finance, Summa Cum Laude
Monique Sylvester (Women's Soccer) – Criminal Justice, Cum Laude
Aaron Wheeler (Football) – Criminal Justice, Cum Laude