ISSUED: 4 January 2022
MEDIA CONTACT: Dana Costa
SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV — 
In honor of 2021 Harlon Hill Award recipient Tyson Bagent, the Shepherd University Foundation announces the creation of the TB2 Harlon Hill Award for Excellence Scholarship to support Shepherd University football players on and off the field. The first scholarships will be available in fall 2022 for eligible students based on NCAA qualifications.
The 13 founding donors of the scholarship include Eric Lewis, partner, Ours, Lawyer, Lewis & Company PLLC and chair of Shepherd’s Board of Governors; Scott Roach, former member, Shepherd Board of Governors; Chauncey Winbush, Shepherd vice president for athletics; Chris Janelle, partner, Sutton & Janelle, PLLC; Dr. Chris Hussion, veterinarian, Old Mill Veterinary Hospital; Jeff Petrucci, president, Heiston Industrial Supply; and Henry Kayes, chief operating officer and regional president for United Bank Incorporated and member, Shepherd Board of Governors.
Other founding donors are Bill Baker, senior director, Recreation Vehicle Industry Association; Jay Mason, member, Frederick County Maryland Board of Education and Shepherd Board of Governors; Aaron Weikle, CEO, Mountain State Software Solutions, LLC; Chip Whitlock, Patrick Pontiac Buick GMC; Tracy Zullo, managing director, Capital Wealth Investments; and Dr. James Cherry, scientific program director and scientific advisor, Office of Scientific Operations, Office of the Director at the National Cancer Institute, and member, Shepherd Board of Governors.
The initial donation to fund the scholarship is $23,000. The founding donors cite Bagent’s shining example of excellence in leadership as the reason they wanted to start the scholarship in his name.
“We wanted to honor Tyson’s individual accomplishment in winning the first Harlon Hill Award for Shepherd University, but also honor his commitment to being a great teammate and leader,” Lewis said. “Tyson is an exceptional representative of Shepherd University, and he makes us all very proud. He is a shining example of the mantra ‘Shepherd Students Succeed’ and he deserves to be honored in perpetuity with an annually funded scholarship that will do long into the future what he has always done—move Shepherd University football forward and help the program compete on the national level.”
Bagent, the first in Shepherd’s history to win the Harlon Hill Award, led the Rams to a 13-2 season record and an appearance in the NCAA Division II national championship semifinals. During the 2021 season, Bagent completed 391-of-579 passes for 5,000 yards and 53 touchdowns. He also led NCAA Division II in passing yards (5,000), touchdown passes (53), and points responsible for (338). A five-time PSAC East Offensive Athlete of the Week this season, Bagent also threw for 300 yards or more in 10 contests and had at least four passing touchdowns in nine games in 2021. He is the ninth player at all NCAA levels—and only the second in Division II—with at least 5,000 passing yards and 50 touchdown passes in a season.
“This is truly a historical moment for our football program, athletics department, and university,” said Winbush. “The support from these alumni and local business leaders is a testament to the incredible support our football program is afforded. Tyson Bagent is a shining example of the leadership qualities we want all our student-athletes to strive for during their time in Shepherdstown.”
“By all accounts, Tyson Bagent isn’t just the best player in Division II football, he is also one of the best teammates and leaders,” Lewis said. “In co-founding this scholarship, we hope that other Shepherd University alumni, fans, and supporters will follow our lead and consider joining us in an annual commitment to help us fund it. Let’s honor this outstanding student-athlete leader and help provide much-needed scholarship dollars to a program that has very much earned our support.”
To support this scholarship fund, visit the Foundation’s online giving portal. Be certain to select “other” under designation and type “Bagent Scholarship” to ensure that your donation is credited to the TB2 Harlon Hill Award for Excellence Scholarship. You may also mail a check, made payable to the Shepherd University Foundation, to P.O. Box 5000, Shepherdstown, WV 25443. Please write “Bagent Scholarship” in the memo line of the check.
To learn more about creating a fund through the Shepherd University Foundation, contact Monica Lingenfelter, executive vice president, Shepherd University Foundation, at 304-876-5397, or Sherri Janelle, executive director of development, at 304-876-5043, or visit the Foundation website.
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