IUPUI’s Dibley, Oakland’s LaGrand Awarded Horizon League Post-Graduate Scholarships
INDIANAPOLIS – IUPUI men’s swimming student-athlete Nicholas Dibley and Oakland women’s swimming student-athlete Susan LaGrand have been named the recipients of this year’s Horizon League Post-Graduate Scholarship Award, as voted on by the League’s Faculty Athletic Representatives, announced the League on Friday.
“It is a distinct pleasure to recognize Nicholas and Susan as our Horizon League Post-Graduate Scholarship Award winners,” said Horizon League Commissioner Julie Roe Lach. “These extraordinary students exemplify our core values as they embody our commitment to maximize educational opportunity through sports. We are proud of their achievements and wish them the best as Nicholas pursues his post-graduate degree in bioinformatics and Susan pursues hers in medicine.”
Since 2014, the Horizon League has annually provided a post-graduate scholarship to a male and female student-athlete who exhibit excellence in the areas of academics, leadership, service, and athletics. Each of this year’s recipients will receive $5,000 to be used for graduate school expenses.
Dibley majored in biomedical informatics at IUPUI and graduated this month with a grade-point average just under a perfect 4.00. He has been accepted to continue his education at IUPUI in the bioinformatics program. Dibley is a two-time member of the Horizon League All-Academic Team and has been named to the Top 100 students list at IUPUI list the past two years.
“I am extremely grateful to have been chosen for this year’s scholarship,” said Dibley. “Being IUPUI’s first-ever recipient means a lot to me and I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of the swimming and diving program here. It’s only through being a part of the amazing culture we have created here that I was able to accomplish what I did this year. This scholarship is a huge help as I start the next chapter of my life and continue my master’s degree at IUPUI. Thank you to everyone who has helped me along the way!”
During his career at IUPUI, Dibley made it to the podium at the Horizon League Championships five times including three times as an individual. In his final meet this past February, the Middlebury, Ind. native set two school records, as he finished second in the 400-yard individual medley and third as a part of the 800 freestyle relay. He also earned two third-place finishes in the 200 butterfly in 2021 and 2023.
Dibley has volunteered at the Indianapolis Children’s Museum and the Indianapolis Zoo and is the team’s liaison for Team Impact, an organization that matches children with serious illnesses or disabilities to a collegiate program, and works closely with the team’s youngest teammate, Carter. He is a two-time captain for the swimming and diving program, the president of IUPUI’s SAAC and the Secretary of the Horizon League’s SAAC.
LaGrand majored in clinical and diagnostic science with a specialization in medical laboratory science and graduated this past winter Summa Cum Laude with Departmental Honors before starting her Master’s in Public Administration with a focus in Healthcare. She has been accepted to Wayne State’s School of Medicine and will be continuing in the master’s program at Oakland while pursuing her M.D. She is a two-time Horizon League Scholar-Athlete of the Season honoree and was awarded Oakland’s Top GPA Award in 2022 for having the highest GPA of graduating seniors in the athletics department.
“I am honored to receive this recognition from the Horizon League,” said LaGrand. “It has been an absolute pleasure competing in the Horizon League and I am so thankful to have competed for a school and a conference that values us as much more than just athletes. I could not be more grateful for this scholarship to help finance my continued education.”
LaGrand’s swimming career will go down as one of the most decorated in Horizon League history. She has been a member of five Horizon League championship teams and is a three-time Horizon League Swimmer of the Year and Swimmer of the Meet. She ended her collegiate career holding HL individual records in the 100 and 200 backstroke, 200 IM and 200 free, while also being a member of relay teams that hold League records in the 200 medley, 400 medley and 800 free. In total, LaGrand won 12 individual titles and was a member of 20 winning relay teams at League Championships. She qualified for the NCAA Championships the past three seasons in the 200 IM, 100 back and 200 back and earned All-American Honorable Mention in the 200 back in 2021.
Out of the pool, LaGrand helped lead the program’s annual mitten toss that collected over 600 pairs of mittens and gloves for a local women’s and children’s center, while also spearheading the team’s participation in the Golden Grizzlies Food Drive that collected nearly 700 food items to benefit local food banks. She served on Oakland’s SAAC for two years and was a member of the swimming and diving program’s leadership council all five years with the program.
To be eligible for the scholarship, student-athletes must meet criteria in four distinct categories — academics, athletics, service and leadership. The recipient must have an overall minimum GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale or its equivalent, have competed with distinction as a member of a varsity sport, exhibited quality time working in the community/university in providing service to others, and demonstrated leadership qualities as a student at their institution and as a member of their intercollegiate program.