Overview
It's one of the two most important weekends of the year in Chattanooga. The university celebrated commencement exercises on Friday and Saturday with family and friends joining in the festivities. It was special as well for the athletics department with 51 new grads walking the stage into their next chapters.
 
Quotable
"This weekend never gets old for me. We are very proud of our graduates. Whether they started with us and are completing their journey or came from somewhere else to find their home, it is always exciting to welcome new alums and future leaders." – Vice Chancellor for Athletics Mark Wharton
 
Breakdown

• Former defensive end Quonta "Que" Vance '96 was the keynote speaker on Friday evening. The 2024 Joe Morrison Award winner is an executive vice president at Lowe's.
• There are 51 total student-athletes in commencement exercises over the weekend. Five complete their degree work in the summer.
• Sixty-five Mocs completed degrees in 2025-26. The 14 December grads can be found by clicking this link.
• Softball and football led all sports with eight taking the stage. The top 3 also included women's cross country (6).
• Of the 51, 44 are undergraduate finishers with seven earning advanced degrees.

 
Spring/Summer 2026 Grads
* denotes summer grads
 
Basketball (M)
Makai Richards – School Athletic Leadership
Brennan Watkins – Master's Management
*Jikari Johnson – Master's Management
*Billy Smith – Integrated Studies | Latin Honors Candidate
 
Basketball (W)
Kalifa Ford – Master's Accounting
Frode Flos van der Schans – Mechanical Engineering | Alpha Society | Latin Honors Candidate
 
Beach Volleyball
McKenna Faychak – Exercise Science | Latin Honors Candidate
Ashli McKenny – Integrated Studies
Maddie Lecik – Criminal Justice 
Corina Vale – Exercise Science | Latin Honors Candidate
 
Cross Country (W)
Michaela Dabney – Psychology
Andrea Ellis – Exercise Science | Latin Honors Candidate
Lexi Foley – Master's Secondary Education Licensure
Sarah Phillips – Sport Management | Latin Honors Candidate
Maddie Wheatcroft – Exercise Science | Latin Honors Candidate
*Leah Boyd Mitchell – MBA
 
Football
Nick Coates – Applied Leadership
Justus Durant – Applied Leadership
Jestin Gilmore – Sport Management
Montrell Henderson – Sport Management
Anton Ricumstrict – Applied Leadership
Ky Tayo - Sport Management
Christian Va'a – Criminal Justice | Latin Honors Candidate
*Heath Jehu – Sport Management
 
Golf (W)
Makenzie Cooper – Applied Leadership | Latin Honors Candidate
Kera Healey – Exercise Science | Latin Honors Candidate
 
Soccer
Abbey Marek – Psychology
Zoey Mize – Management | Latin Honors Candidate
Caroline Richvalsky – Psychology
Nicole Solete – Exercise Science | Latin Honors Candidate
Brenna Swiger – Master's Nutrition
 
Softball
Anna Dovey – Applied Leadership | Latin Honors Candidate
Jade Gainer – Applied Leadership
Shayna Glass – Communication | Latin Honors Candidate
Raven Jones – Exercise Science | Latin Honors Candidate
Taylor Long – Integrated Studies | Latin Honors Candidate
Baileigh Pitts – Criminal Justice | Latin Honors Candidate
Emma Sam Reed – Exercise Science | Latin Honors Candidate
Zoe Wright – Child & Family Studies
 
Tennis (M)
Gabriel Castillo – Master's Public Health
Cortland Grove – Marketing | Latin Honors Candidate
Kristof Kincses – Management | Latin Honors Candidate
Carter Ramthun – Entrepreneurship | Latin Honors Candidate
 
Track & Field
Stella Henry – Psychology
*Ava McGue – Criminal Justice | Latin Honors Candidate
 
Volleyball
Bailey Burgess – Integrated Studies | Latin Honors Candidate
Chiara Napoli – Criminal Justice
 
Wrestling
Kendrick Curtis – Management | Latin Honors Candidate
Dayne Dalrymple – Mechanical Engineering
Cooper Flynn – Integrated Studies
Kamdyn Munro – Exercise Science
Logan Webster – Entrepreneurship | Latin Honors Candidate
 
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