Men's Soccer Captain Ryan Keener Awarded Post-Graduate Scholarship
4/20/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Ryan Keener, a former captain on the Michigan State men's soccer team, was awarded the NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship. Keener will be pursuing dentistry at the University of Michigan in the fall.
"We are incredibly proud of Ryan and his numerous accomplishments as a student-athlete in our men's soccer program at Michigan State University," said senior associate athletic director Shelley Appelbaum. "In addition, it is truly an honor to be a recipient of this prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, and it will be very beneficial to Ryan as he pursues his dream to attend Dental School. On behalf of Athletic Director, Mark J. Hollis, we wish him the best of luck and are grateful for his contributions to MSU Athletics during his highly successful career at State."
Named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team in 2011, he went on to become a three-year Academic All-Big Ten honoree and Big Ten Distinguished Scholar. In 2014, he capped off his career earning Second-Team All-Big Ten and First-Team CoSIDA Academic All-American honors, only the second Spartan all-time to receive the recognition.
"I am honored to be chosen as a recipient of the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship," said Keener. "For me, this scholarship serves as an encouraging reminder that I will be continuing to represent Michigan State University and the NCAA as I begin my career in dentistry. An opportunity like this would not have been possible without the support I have received from my family, teammates and the athletic department as a whole, and I feel thankful for that."
A four-year starter, Keener totaled six goals and six assists as a Spartan. Keener led the defensive line through the Spartans' second-consecutive Elite Eight season, holding opponents to only 19 goals and totaling 13 shutouts.
