BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Eastern Kentucky University seniors Jessica Goshert and Derek Hardman have been selected as two of the six individuals to receive the prestigious Ohio Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete Award for 2008-09. 

The award is the highest individual honor that can be earned by OVC student-athletes, and is given annually to three men and three women of junior or senior status for their accomplishments in both the classroom and athletic arena.

EKU is the only school in the conference to have two student-athletes earn the Scholar-Athlete Award.

Goshert just completed her fourth year of soccer at EKU and was the Colonels’ team captain for two of those years. A starter for most of her career she played in 70 games, third most all-time, and logged the second most minutes on the team in 2008, helping the EKU defense record an OVC-best and program-record eight shutouts. As a sophomore in 2007 she was honored as a second-team All-OVC selection at defender. Her efforts helped Eastern Kentucky to its first OVC Tournament appearance in 2008, after the team finished second in the regular season.

In the classroom Goshert has compiled a 3.99 GPA in biology (pre-med) with a minor in Spanish. She has been a selection to the Dean’s List and a Colonel Scholar every semester of her college career and a member of the President’s List five times. She has also been named to the OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll as well as received the OVC Medal of Honor. Goshert is a member of the Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society as well as a member of EKU’s Honors Program.

She has been a regular volunteer at the Pattie A. Clay Regional Medical Center in Richmond as well as the St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis. She has also volunteered with the EKU Canned Food Drives and Charity Kick-off that collected shoes for the Soles4Souls organization. Goshert is a native of Indianapolis, Ind.

Hardman is in his fourth season as a starter on the Eastern Kentucky offensive line. After redshirting in 2005 he has started every game since. The last two years he has been a part of OVC Championship teams that have been among the league’s best in rushing offense as well as protecting the quarterback from sacks. The left tackle also serves as EKU’s team captain. Hardman was named to the OVC All-Newcomer Team in 2006, the All-OVC first-team in 2008 and was a Preseason All-American selection heading into the 2009 season.

This season he was named a national semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy which is presented by the National Football Foundation and is also known as the “Academic Heisman.” Hardman was also a first-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Team selection by CoSIDA and will appear on the national ballot later this month for consideration for the honor of Academic All-America. Hardman completed a degree in business administration in Dec. 2008, finishing with a 3.53 GPA and graduating Cum Laude. He is now working on his MBA and has a 4.00 GPA in graduate school. Hardman has been a member of the Dean’s List, a selection to the OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll and OVC Medal of Honor recipient.

He is a member of the Chi Alpha Sigma Student-Athlete Honor Society and the International Honor Society for Beta Gamma Sigma. Hardman has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, the Roane County 4-H and the Shriner’s Hospital among other activities and was a Homecoming King nominee this past year. Hardman is a native of Spencer, W.Va.

The six Scholar-Athlete winners were selected from a group of 19 finalists by a vote of OVC Faculty Athletics Representatives. Honorees must have performed athletically with distinction, earned at least a 3.25 grade point average and conducted themselves in a manner which has brought credit to the student-athlete, his or her institution, intercollegiate athletics and the OVC. The award is based on academic and athletic criteria/accomplishments achieved during the 2008-09 school year.

The other winners of the award are: Josh Cain of Jacksonville State University (football), Teresa Craig of Tennessee Technological University (volleyball), Jamie Furstenberg of the University of Tennessee at Martin (soccer) and Leonardo Locatelli of Austin Peay State University (tennis).