Sept. 20, 2012

STANFORD, Calif. - Six student-athletes from Stanford's Class of 2012, Evan Barry (men's volleyball), Monica Coughlan (women's water polo), Benjamin Johnson (men's track and field), David Mosko (men's swimming), Ryan Thacher (men's tennis) and Miles Unterreiner (men's track and field), were awarded NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships for their outstanding academic and athletic achievements.

NCAA postgraduate scholarship winners receive $7,500, and to qualify must be in their final year of eligibility and plan to pursue graduate studies. Student-athletes must also maintain at least a 3.2 grade-point average and be nominated by their institution's faculty athletics representative.

Barry starred for Stanford's men's volleyball team, serving as the team's starting setter from 2011-12. He named to the AVCA All-America Second Team as well as to the All-MPSF Second Team in 2012 when he averaged 12.04 assists per game. Barry finished his career on The Farm ranking second in Stanford career assists per set (11.41), third in career assists (2,739), third in single-season assists in rally-scoring era (1,336), seventh in single-season assists per set (12.04) and 10th in single-match assists (66). All records are for the rally-scoring era.

The San Diego native twice earned MPSF All-Academic recognition (2011-12) and received his degree in management science and engineering in June.

Coughlan ended her Cardinal athletic career with a second straight NCAA title with the women's water polo team in 2012. She scored 11 goals in 2012 and featured as one of the Cardinal's top two-meter defenders over the repeat championship season. Stepping up into the role in the absence of 2012 Olympians Annika Dries and Melissa Seidemann, Coughlan helped anchor the MPSF's top defense which allowed just 4.64 goals per game.

Earning her bachelor's degree in biology in June, Coughlan twice earned the NCAA ELITE 88/89 Award, given annually to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average at an NCAA Championship event. She was also a four-time selection to the ACWPC All-Academic List as well as a three-time pick for the MPSF All-Academic List.

"Monica has been fantastic in everything she's taken on at Stanford," said Stanford women's water polo head coach John Tanner. "She was a great 'teammate' to everyone with whom she worked - in the classroom, in the lab, in the weight room, and, of course, in the pool. This is an award she richly deserves. Wonderful to have her join the long list of exceptional Stanford student-athletes who've won NCAA post-graduate scholarships."

Johnson finished his career on The Farm placing 11th in the nation in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the 2012 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships after a third-place effort in the same event at the Pac-12 Championships. A member of the Cardinal's elite distance corps, Johnson earned All-America honors in 2011 by finishing seventh in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the NCAA championships. At the Pac-10 Championships that same year, Johnson finished second in the event.

Also a member of the Stanford cross country team, Johnson finished 27th at the 2011 NCAA Championships before missing the 2012 event due to injury.

He was a four-time USTFCCCA All-Academic selection in his career, and graduated in June with a degree in chemical engineering.

Fellow distance runner Unterreiner took fourth in the 5,000 meters at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in March then took 13th in the 10,000 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in June. In 2011, Unterreiner captured the MPSF indoor 5,000-meter title.

A member of the Cardinal cross country team, he helped the team to a NCAA West Regional win in 2011.

A Pac-12 All-Academic First Team pick in cross country, Unterreiner also thrice earned USTFCCCA All-Academic recognition. At the NCAA Outdoor Championships this past June, Unterreiner was honored as the NCAA Elite 89 Award winner, and he graduated later that month with a degree in history.

In the pool, Mosko finished his Cardinal athletic career in 2012 as a 14-time All-American and two-time Pac-10/Pac-12 champion. One of Stanford's top freestyle swimmers, he earned 11 of his All-American honors with that stroke while the other three came in butterfly events. He captured his Pac-12 title as a member of Stanford's 800-meter free relay team and his Pac-10 title came in the 500-meter freestyle.

Mosko accounted for 86 points at the 2012 NCAA Championships, finishing in the top 16 of five events. Although he missed the 2011 spring season due to injury, Mosko earned no less than three All-America honors in each of his four full seasons on The Farm, peaking with four honors in 2011 and 2012.

A two-time conference all-academic selection, Mosko graduated with his bachelor's degree in biomechanical engineering.

At Taube Family Tennis Center senior Ryan Thacher finished a Cardinal career in 2012 as a three-time doubles All-American and a four time All-Pac-10/All-Pac-12 Team selection. Teaming with Bradley Klahn, the pair went 19-3 in 2012 in doubles competition, advancing to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championships. For his career, Thacher posted a career doubles record of 136-36 from 2009-12.

Thacher was a four-time ITA Scholar-Athlete as well as a three-time Pac-10/Pac-12 All-Academic Team selection. As a senior in 2012 he was named the Pac-12's Toyo Tires Scholar Athlete of the Year, and also became just the third Stanford men's tennis player to earn the ITA National Arthur Ashe, Jr. Award for Leadership and Sportsmanship.

He graduated with a degree in history.