Six Student-Athletes Earn Christenberry Award for Academic Excellence
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) – The Big South Conference today announced that six student-athletes have been awarded the Conference’s prestigious
George A. Christenberry Award for Academic Excellence. The award is given to the male and female student-athlete who attain the highest GPA during their undergraduate collegiate careers. It is the 12th consecutive year at least
SIX student-athletes have been honored. Below are this year’s recipients in alphabetical order:
- Radford women’s soccer player Kristen Chick (4.00 in Allied Health Sciences)
- UNC Asheville volleyball player Ona Elkins (4.00 in International Studies/Political Science)
- Gardner-Webb women’s swimmer Alexandra Haasser (4.00 in Biology/Biomedical Science)
- Presbyterian College men’s cross country runner William Johnson (4.00 in History and Biochemistry)
- Presbyterian College men’s soccer player Lorenzo Nagy (4.00 in Biology)
- UNC Asheville men’s tennis player Jon Brann Reid (4.00 in Biology/Health & Wellness)
Big South member institutions nominate one male and one female undergraduate student-athlete for the annual Christenberry Award, or multiple student-athletes that tie for the highest GPA on their respective campus. The honor is named for
George A. Christenberry, the former President of Augusta College (now Augusta University) and one of the founders of the Big South Conference. A member of the Big South Hall of Fame, Christenberry served as the league’s first President from 1983-86.
Chick (Roanoke, Va.) was a valuable member of the Highlanders’ women’s soccer team in her three seasons. She suffered a season-ending injury this past season that kept her off the field, but came back for her Senior Day to make her first career start. Off the field, she achieved a perfect 4.0 GPA majoring in Allied Health Sciences while participating in the school’s FCA program and volunteering countless hours at her former high school. Chick was part of two Big South Women’s Soccer Championship squads during her time at Radford.
Elkins (Asheville, N.C.) was named the Big South Volleyball Scholar Athlete of the Year for the 2023 season, and was a two-time Big South All-Academic Team honoree. She received the UNC Asheville Talent Award Scholarship, is a McRae Scholar, is a recipient of the SECU Public Service Fellowship and has been named to the Chancellor's List. Elkins is also a SAAC Representative and was the president and treasurer of the political science club in her sophomore and junior years. She is also a member of the Political Science Honor Society and the XAE National Athletic Honor Society. During the summer of 2023, Elkins was awarded the International Experience Scholarship to study abroad in Japan. She was a team captain on the volleyball team for two seasons and finished the 2023 campaign with 375 assists, 20 service aces, and 160 digs in 85 sets. Elkins concluded her Asheville career with 295 sets played, 91 matches, 826 assists, 52 service aces and 531 digs.
Haasser (Seffner, Fla.) was Top 35 in all three of her events at the 2024 ASUN Swimming & Diving Championships. As a junior, she recorded eight top-10 finishes across seven meets in 2022-23. She finished second in the 100-yard breast stroke vs. VMI (10/15) with a time of 1:09.81, and swam a season best time of 24.34 in the 50-yard freestyle at the CCSA Championships. In 2021-22, Haasser recorded eight top-10 finishes across seven meets, and had season bests in the 50-yard breast stroke (30.85) and the 100-yard breast stroke (1:06.27) at the CCSA Championships. As a freshman in 2020-21, she posted nine top-10 finishes across five meets. She set a personal best in the 50-yard freestyle at the CCSA Championships with a time of 24.28, as well as a PR in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:05.78.
Johnson (Lexington, S.C.) graduated from Presbyterian this past Saturday with a 4.0 GPA as a double major in History and Biochemistry. The 2023 Big South Men’s Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Johnson shattered the program’s 5K record with a time of 16:36.5 in the season-opening Belmont Opener on Sept. 1. He recorded the fastest time on the team in every race in 2023, and was a three-time Big South Men’s Cross Country All-Academic team honoree in his career.
Nagy (Kecskemet, Hungary) also graduated from Presbyterian this past Saturday, and earned College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honors this past season. During his career, he was one of the engines that drove a Blue Hose offensive attack which ranked among the highest-scoring teams in the Big South. He was a 2022 First-Team All-Big South selection as well as a member of the Big South Presidential Honor Roll.
Reid (Hickory, N.C.) helped the Bulldogs win the 2024 Big South Men’s Tennis Championship this past April. This past season, he went 16-5 in singles play -- including 14 wins at No. 3 and 3-1 in conference. He teamed up with Rafa Serra at No. 1 doubles to go 11-5 en route to First Team All-Conference honors. Reid was voted the Big South Men’s Tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was named to the Big South Men’s Tennis All-Academic Team. The 2021 Big South Men’s Tennis Freshman of the Year, Reid’s career honors also threee 2023 Intercollegiate Tennis Association Scholar-Athlete honors (2021, 2022, 2023) and two College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District recognitions (2023, 2024). On the court, he was a four-time All-Conference selection in doubles (2021-22-23-24), as well as a two-time All-Big South honoree for singles play (2021-22).
Below are the 2023-24 South Conference Christenberry Award candidates, as nominated by their institutions. Each individual receives a personalized medallion for this achievement.
Charleston Southern
Samatha Lee Carlson (soccer), Michael Calhoun (track & field)
Gardner-Webb
Alexandra Haasser (swimming), Garrett Despres (swimming)
High Point
Letizia Marsico (track & field), Jake Tarosky (cross country/track & field)
Longwood
Kiersten Witte (cross country/track), Andrew Messick (soccer)
Presbyterian College
Caitlin Murphy (soccer), William Johnson (cross country), Lorenzo Nagy (soccer)
Radford
Kristen Chick (soccer), Nicholas McCumsey (cross country)
UNC Asheville
Ona Elkins (volleyball), Jon Brann Reid (tennis)
USC Upstate
Emily Sanders (soccer), Andrin Zumbuehl (soccer)
Winthrop
Kathryn Feskorn (soccer), Parker Whittle (baseball)