Champaign, Ill.
By Victor Cortez
Illinois Sports Information
Alex Tirapelle (Clovis, Calif.) is the recipient of a $7,500 postgraduate scholarship from the NCAA. In August, the two-time All-American starts the masters program in sports management after graduating in May with a 3.73 GPA in accountancy.
The NCAA awards up to 174 postgraduate scholarships annually, split evenly between men and women and among the fall, winter and spring sports seasons. Tirapelle is one of 29 male student-athletes nationwide to earn a postgraduate scholarship during the winter season.
Nominees for an NCAA postgraduate scholarship must have a minimum GPA of 3.20, be nominated by the institution’s faculty athletics representative or athletic director and intend to continue academic work beyond the bachelor’s degree as a part-time or full-time graduate student.
The scholarship isn’t the only award Tirapelle has received this season. He earned his fourth straight Academic All-Big Ten nod as well as his third straight NWCA All-Academic Team honor. In April, Tirapelle took home the Spirit Award at the 2006 Scholar-Athlete Banquet. As his goal of becoming a national champion went unattained, he selflessly worked out the remaining wrestlers and coached them to victory from the sidelines.
Tirapelle finished his career at Illinois as the all-time winningest wrestler with 128 victories “one more than his brother, 2001 NCAA Champion, Adam. He was a four-time national qualifier, two-time All-American and two-time Big Ten champion.
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