Big South Announces 2026 Bob McCloskey Graduate Fellowship Winners
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) – Longwood softball player
Maggie Chapin (Shawnee, Kan.) and Radford men’s soccer player
Tyler Pulik (Beltsville, Md.) have been awarded the annual Bob McCloskey Insurance Big South Conference Graduate Fellowships, it was announced today by the league office. Bob McCloskey Insurance (BMI), a Big South Corporate Partner, will award $2,000 each to Chapin and Pulik for their respective graduate studies on Thursday evening, May 28, as part of the conference’s annual Spring Awards Dinner Banquet at the Westin Resort in Hilton Head, S.C.
The Big South Conference Graduate Fellowship Program was established by the league in the Fall of 2005 as a means of recognizing the academic excellence of Big South Conference student-athletes who intend to pursue postgraduate studies upon graduation from a Big South Conference institution.
Chapin was a standout performer for the Lancers throughout her four-year career, compiling a 42-50 record with a 3.88 ERA across 126 appearances and 95 starts. She totaled 549.0 innings pitched and 473 strikeouts, establishing herself as a reliable presence in the circle -- highlighted by a senior season in which she received All-Conference Honorable Mention honors with a 3.65 ERA and 185 strikeouts. In her career, Chapin was a two-time All-Big South honoree, was a four-time Big South Pitcher of the Week selection, was voted to the Big South All-Freshman Team, and was the 2026 Softball Scholar-Athlete of the Year. In the classroom, Chapin excelled as a three-time Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete, multi-year College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District selection, was a Big South All-Academic Team member, and recipient of both the Longwood Joan of Arc Award for Excellence (twice) and the 2026 Henry I. Willett Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year award while graduating with a 3.951 GPA in Biology.
During her time at Longwood, Chapin gained hands-on experience through a microbiology quality control internship with TriRx and multiple veterinary externships and shadowing opportunities working with both small and large animals. Chapin was actively involved in community service, providing pitching lessons, volunteering with Longwood Life to support individuals with intellectual disabilities, and completing an 80-hour study abroad service experience in Thailand that focused on animal welfare. Additionally, she contributed to research projects in cell biology, ecology, genetics, and organic chemistry while presenting her work at university showcases. She plans to attend Kansas State University’s DVM program before pursuing a career in rural mixed animal practice and eventually opening her own clinic.
A team captain and four-year member of the Highlanders’ program, Pulik emerged as a key contributor during his senior season in 2025, as he started all 17 matches and anchored Radford’s defensive unit. He appeared in 42 career matches with 24 starts and 2,137 minutes played -- including a career-high 1,329 this past season to rank third on the squad. Pulik excelled as an Allied Health Science major, graduating with a 3.917 GPA while earning multiple academic honors, including repeated Dean’s List recognition, Big South All-Academic Team accolades and CSC Academic All-District honors.
Beyond athletics and academics, Pulik made a significant impact through campus involvement and service, serving as a tutor in Allied Health courses and as a representative on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). He also accumulated extensive clinical observation experience in physical therapy settings, further preparing him for his next academic step. Pulik has been accepted into the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at the University of Delaware, where he plans to continue building toward his long-term goal of becoming a physical therapist and eventually opening his own clinic.
Nominations for the Graduate Fellowship are made by the Faculty Athletics Representative or the Chief Academic Officer at a Big South member institution, and are limited to one male and one female at each school. To qualify for the Big South Conference Graduate Fellowship, applicants must have the following requirements:
- Have an overall undergraduate cumulative grade-point average of 3.500 or better based on a maximum 4.000, or the equivalent in other recognized grading systems;
- Have competed in intercollegiate athletics as a member of a varsity team at a Big South Conference member institution;
- Must be either a graduating senior during the academic year of the award, or be enrolled in a graduate program at a Big South Conference institution while completing the last year of eligibility;
- Intend to continue academic work beyond the baccalaureate degree and enroll into a graduate degree program at a properly accredited, non-profit educational institution or into a post-baccalaureate professional degree program at a professionally accredited law school, medical school or the equivalent, without restriction as to the national site of the institution;
- Have evidenced superior character and superior leadership;
- Have demonstrated that participation in athletics and community service has been a positive influence on the nominee’s personal and intellectual development. Relative success in athletics is important but not of overriding significance;
- Enroll in a graduate degree program the term subsequent to being awarded the fellowship or present a rationale for deferred matriculation.