ST. LOUIS – Drake University's Kayla Bell has earned a Missouri Valley Conference Postgraduate Scholarship, the league announced Thursday, June 16. Bell is one of four MVC student-athletes to win the prestigious scholarship.
Bell, a native of Bolingbrook, Ill., recently completed her senior season as a member of the Drake women's track and field team and earned an undergraduate degree in psychology with a minor in sociology while maintaining a 3.92 grade point average.
The academic standout has been admitted to the Drake University master's degree program in counseling with a concentration in clinical mental health counseling. A two-time member of the MVC's Scholar-Athlete Team, Bell was also named the MVC Elite 18 Award winner following the MVC Outdoor Championship. On campus, she was honored as the psychology department's Most Outstanding Junior in 2015 and Most Outstanding Senior in 2016.
STORY: Read more about Bell's academic honors and future goals
Athletically, Bell owns the Drake school record in both the indoor and outdoor triple jump while ranking in the top three all-time in both in the indoor and outdoor long jump. At the 2016 MVC Outdoor Championship she earned All-MVC honors in both events and finished her senior season with 20 top-three performances. She also scored in six-straight MVC Championship meets.
Joining Bell in winning the scholarship was Alexandra Arguello (Evansville/women's soccer), Keagan Potts (Loyola/men's track) and Jonny Rigby (SIU/men's tennis). Her award marks the second straight year a Bulldog has earned an MVC Postgraduate Scholarship. In 2015, men's track and field's Brogan Austin was a recipient.
To be eligible for consideration, recipients must have achieved a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.40, participated with distinction in a Missouri Valley Conference championship sport for at least two seasons at the nominating institution and must graduate from their institutions within 18 months following selection at the spring meetings of the Faculty Athletics Representative Committee.
Also, the recipients must be accepted for postgraduate studies at an institution of higher learning at the time of receipt of the scholarship. And, the recipients must have completed eligibility for participation in intercollegiate athletics in the academic year in which nominated.
