OU's Brittany Carnago earns prestigious athletic scholarship

OU's Brittany Carnago has been named to the Division I-AAA ADA Scholar Team and winner of the first postgraduate scholarship.

Oakland University student Brittany Carnago was named to the Division I-AAA ADA Scholar Athlete Team and chosen to receive the inaugural I-AAA ADA Postgraduate Scholarship. The scholarship is a $5,000 grant geared for postgraduate studies.

"I am greatly honored to be named to this team and to receive this scholarship," Carnago said. “I feel like this is a reflection of our team culture which puts a large focus on academic success. Our coaches and other players constantly push us to perform at our highest level in the classroom.”

A junior, Carnago graduated in December with a BS in sociology and psychology. She began pursuing her MA in counseling in January and has posted a 3.90 GPA since starting her master’s courses.

“As a coaching staff and a team we are excited for Brittany to be named to this team and to be the first winner of the postgraduate scholarship,” said OU head coach Beckie Francis. “We are fortunate to have a player like Brittany who, as a team captain, leads the team by example not only on the court but in the classroom.”

This season, Carnago finished 12th in the nation in blocked shots per game, averaging 2.9 per contest. Her 194 career blocks ranks third in school history and seventh in Summit League history. She holds the school record with 89 blocks in a season and posted the second highest total in school history this season with 80.

In addition to her impact defensively, Carnago also averaged 6.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game this season. She was second on the team in double-doubles, including 10 points and 15 rebounds in OU’s win over Oral Roberts in the semifinals of The Summit League Tournament. Carnago also holds the distinction of having the only triple-double in school history, recording 14 points, 10 rebounds and 11 blocked shots against Centenary in her sophomore season.

Carnago was picked by her teammates and coaches to be a team captain this season and will continue in that role next year as a senior. With Carnago in the lineup, Oakland has won 20 or more games in each of her first three seasons.

Oakland has a history of academic success, placing in the top 25 for team GPA among division I teams in each of the last five seasons. OU’s Jessica Pike was a two-time selection to the I-AAA ADA Scholar Athlete team and was named Division I-AAA ADA Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2009.

“Knowing that Jessica Pike was on this team in the past reinforces what a great honor it is to have been selected,” said Carnago “Jessica was not only a great player, but an incredible student.”

To be eligible for selection to the Division I-AAA ADA Scholar Athlete Taem, a player must have above a 3.2 grade point average and be of at least junior academic standing. The player must also be a significant contributor to her team. For a complete list of the members of both the men’s and women’s Division I-AAA ADA Scholar-Athlete Teams, click here.

For more information about OU's athletics programs, view the website at ougrizzlies.com.