It's Graduation Day for Oscar Tshiebwe and largest athletics graduating class in UK history

It’s Graduation Weekend at the University of Kentucky and this year, 126 current and former UK student-athletes will hear their names called at Rupp Arena, the largest athletics graduating class in school history. Among those are many names you’ll know, including Oscar Tshiebwe, Sahvir Wheeler, and CJ Fredrick, who posed for a picture in their gowns with John Calipari and Director of Academics Services Michael Stone. Jacob Toppin and Brennan Canada will also graduate, although Toppin will not take part in the ceremony.

“So proud of these three guys, and also Jacob, who isn’t walking today,” Calipari tweeted. “They have worked so hard toward their degrees, all while making this state and our fans proud of how they’ve handled themselves on the court and in our communities. Congratulations CJ, Sahvir, Oscar and Jacob! With their graduation, we now have 31 graduates in my time here at Kentucky. Proud of them all!”

So proud of these three guys, and also Jacob, who isn’t walking today. They have worked so hard toward their degrees, all while making this state and our fans proud of how they’ve handled themselves on the court and in our communities.

Congratulations CJ, Sahvir, Oscar and… pic.twitter.com/QtPozdGkGe

— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) May 5, 2023

Oscar just walked across the stage, and, not surprisingly, received a huge cheer from the crowd:

A service dog got a pretty loud cheer, but not quite this one.

Congrats to Oscar! He'll forever be an ambassador of our state 💙 pic.twitter.com/lKCPgNdQSv

— Courtney Layne Brewer (@courtneylaynebr) May 5, 2023

Congrats @Oscartshiebwe34!!! pic.twitter.com/LBJPebpkab

— Drew Franklin (@DrewFranklinKSR) May 5, 2023

If you add in the 41 student-athletes who graduated in December, UK Athletics has a total of 167 graduates in the 2022-23 school year. Many still have eligibility remaining and will return to Kentucky in the fall to compete while attending graduate school or completing additional undergraduate certifications.

“Graduation is a pinnacle of the collegiate experience and we are excited about the record number of graduates,” said Mitch Barnhart, UK Director of Athletics. “It takes tremendous dedication to balance the demands of academics and athletics. We are proud of our Wildcats for succeeding in the in the classrooms and the arenas of competition, giving them the foundation for moving forward in the next phase of their lives.”

Below is the list of expected graduates:

Baseball

• Jase Felker
• Ryder Giles
• Alexander Degen
• Zachary Lee
• Hunter Gilliam, I
• Seth Chavez
• Chase Stanke
• Darren Williams – master’s degree
• Isaiah Byars
• Logan Martin
• Kendal Ewell
• Tyler Bosma – master’s degree

Men’s Basketball

• CJ Fredrick
• Jacob Toppin
• Oscar Tshiebwe
• Sahvir Wheeler
• Brennan Canada

Women’s Basketball

• Adebola Adeyeye
• Blair Green
• Robyn Benton – master’s degree

Football

• Kavosiey Smoke
• Jalen Geiger
• Luke Fulton
• John Varga, Jr
• Londyn Craft
• Justice Dingle, II
• Demontae Crumes
• Sam Anaele
• William Nalty – master’s degree
• Quintin Wilson – master’s degree
• DeAndre Square
• Matt Ruffolo – master’s degree
• *Paul Puckett, Jr

Men’s Golf

• Tanner Parks
• Dhaivat Pandya – master’s degree

Women’s Golf

• Marissa Wenzler
• Maria Villanueva
• Ivy Shepherd

Gymnastics

• Arianna Patterson
• Raina Albores
• Kassidy Howell
• Shealyn Luksik
• Kaitlin Deguzman
• Ashlyn Laclair

Rifle

• Jaden Thompson
• Mitchell Nelson
• William Shaner
• Richard Clark – master’s degree
• Mason Hamilton – master’s degree

Men’s Soccer

• Isaac Walker
• Theodore Asensio
• Nick Gutmann – master’s degree
• Justin Scharf
• Clay Holstad – master’s degree

Women’s Soccer

• Gabrielle Hammers
• Rachel Hughes
• Valdis Bjoerg Sigurbjoernsdottir
• Grace Jacobs
• Maggy Henschler
• Marzia Josephson
• Mary Moffitt – master’s degree
• Bailee Locke – master’s degree
• Jasmine Collins
• Lesley Kiesling – master’s degree
• Caroline Trout
• Madison Rennie

Softball

• Kennedy Sullivan
• Rylea Smith
• Princess Valencia
• Sloan Gayan

STUNT

• Kylie McDonnell
• Hannah Hohn
• Caitlin Barenbaum
• Kailey Stafford
• Elizabeth Larkin
• Rachel Woods

Men’s Swimming and Diving

• Adam Rosipal
• Henry Miller
• Timothy Ellett
• John Michael Gordon
• Mason Wilby
• Jakob Clark
• Maxwell Hawton
• Keanan Dols – master’s degree

Women’s Swimming and Diving

• Tonni McNeese
• Jodi Ogle
• Morgan Southall
• Mary McKinley
• Gillian Davey
• Isabella Gati
• Emily Baeth – master’s degree
• Kyndal Knight – master’s degree

Men’s Tennis

• Alexandre Leblanc
• Jonathan Sorbo
• John Mercer
• Heman Nama
• Olukayode Ayeni
• Ying-Ze (Arthur) Chen

Women’s Tennis

• Carlota Molina Megias
• Maialen Morante Oyague
• Maria Florencia Urrutia

Men’s Track and Field/Cross Country

• Ed Causey, III
• John O’Daniel
• Langston Jackson
• Aaron Withrow
• McLean Griffin
• Michael Browning
• Ethan Kern
• Dylan Allen
• Robert Springfield, III
• Joshua Sobota
• Jacob Sobota – master’s degree
• Kennedy Lightner
• Joseph Palmer, Sr.

Women’s Track and Field/Cross Country

• Shadajah Ballard
• Karimah Davis
• De Anna Martin
• Mallory Liggett
• Bryanna Lucas
• Annika Williams
• Masai Russell
• Kaylie Kenne
• Dajour Miles

Volleyball

• Isabella Bell
• Kelly Franxman – master’s degree
• Erin Lamb

* denotes former student-athlete