Five agriculture students named Academic All-Big Ten

Story by Chad Campbell

Photos from Purdue Athletics

January 6, 2021

F

ive student-athletes from Purdue University's College of Agriculture earned Academic All-Big Ten recognition during the fall 2020 sports season. They were among 96 Purdue student-athletes to earn the title across the university.

 

To qualify for Academic All-Big Ten honors, student-athletes must carry a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher while enrolled full-time. Though cross country, soccer and volleyball were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Big Ten chose to recognize eligible players.

 

2020 was the third year Hayley Bush, Hannah Melchiorre, Taylor Mortensen and Brooks Royal earned the honor.

 

This year's recipients, pictured below, represent the departments of agricultural economics, animal sciences, biochemistry and agricultural & biological engineering.

Hayley Bush playing volleyball for Purdue

Hayley Bush

Agricultural Economics

Union, Kentucky

Volleyball

Emma Ellis playing volleyball for Purdue

Emma Ellis

Animal Sciences

Charlotte, North Carolina 

Volleyball

Hannah Melchiorre playing soccer for Purdue

Hannah Melchiorre

Biochemistry

Thunder Bay, Ontario

Soccer

Taylor Mortensen running for Purdue

Taylor Mortensen

Animal Sciences

Hershey, Pennsylvania 

Cross Country

Brooks Royal playing football for Purdue

Brooks Royal

Agricultural & Biological Engineering

Fitzgerald, Georgia 

Football

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Each school day afternoon, the busses line up outside Woodbrook Elementary in Carmel, Ind. In bus #168, driver Van Betulius, BS’76, and passenger Brayden Krueger patiently wait to get to the front of the line by playing math games.

“There must be seven buses in front of us,” says Betulius, intentionally miscounting the number to challenge Krueger’s math skills.

The two became bus buddies earlier in the school year when Betulius told Krueger he had once been Purdue Pete.

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