Eight student-athletes honored for excellence in athletics, academics and community service
SPARTANBURG, S.C. ? The Southern Conference today named its eight postgraduate scholarship recipients for the 2008-09 academic year. The eight student-athletes will be honored for their accomplishments at the Southern Conference awards dinner in Hilton Head Island, S.C. on May 27, 2009.
The eight honorees include Dave Hart Graduate Scholarship recipient Andrew Villarreal of Samford, Dorothy Hicks Graduate Scholarship recipient Laura Gioia of Furman, David Knight Graduate Scholarship recipient Kellie O’Connell of Samford, William V. Moore Graduate Scholarship presented by Sharp Business Systems recipient Holli Finneren of Georgia Southern, Bob McCloskey Insurance Graduate Scholarship recipients Tracy McCausland of Davidson and Cameron McCarthy of Appalachian State and Camp Champs Graduate Scholarship recipients Kylie Harmon of Samford and Brittany Nagel of The Citadel.
Andrew Villarreal, Samford, Dave Hart Graduate Scholarship
Samford’s Andrew Villarreal is the 2009 recipient of the Dave Hart Graduate Scholarship which is named in memory of former SoCon commissioner Dave Hart, Sr. A men’s golfer at Samford, Villarreal is a four-year letterwinner majoring in accounting and management. He was a three-time member of the Ohio Valley Conference Athletic Honor Roll as well as being named to the Dean’s List at Samford three times. The Decatur, Ala., native was named All-OVC first team in 2005 after leading the Bulldogs to the league tournament title and a berth in the NCAA West Regional. Villarreal boasts a 3.6 grade point average, and he has also been accepted into the Master of Accountancy program at Samford, which he will begin this fall. In addition to his work in the classroom, Villarreal has also volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, Beta Alpha Psi and Samford’s Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC).
Laura Gioia, Furman, Dorothy Hicks Graduate Scholarship
Furman women’s tennis standout Laura Gioia is this year’s recipient of the Dorothy Hicks Graduate Scholarship, which is named for the first female faculty athletics representative in the Southern Conference. A standout on the court as well as in the classroom, Gioia has been named a first-team All-Southern Conference honoree in singles and in doubles in each of her first three seasons at Furman while also being named to Furman’s Dean List and the Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll each year as well. A native of Tampa, Fla., Gioia was the 2006 SoCon Freshman of the Year, 2007 SoCon Player of the Year and 2008 SoCon Tournament MVP while leading the Paladins to the NCAA Tournament each season. During her free time, she volunteers with the Greenville Humane Society, and she has also volunteered as a dental assistant with the Greenville Free Medical Clinic. A health and exercise science major, Gioia maintains a 3.827 grade point average and has been accepted to the dental school at the University of Florida where she will begin her postgraduate studies in the fall.
Kellie O’Connell, Samford, David Knight Graduate Scholarship
Kellie O’Connell, a women’s golfer at Samford, has been awarded the David Knight Graduate Scholarship, which is presented in honor of the late Dr. David Knight, long-time faculty athletics representative at UNC Greensboro. O’Connell is a three-time letterwinner on the Bulldogs’ women’s golf team and has been named to the Dean’s List each year at Samford. O’Connell was twice honored as a member of the OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll while also being named to the National Golf Coaches Association Division I All-Scholar Team. The Lebanon, Tenn., native placed seventh at the 2007 OVC Women’s Golf Championship, and she has also been active in the community, volunteering with the Special Olympics, junior golf clinics and the local children’s hospital. She maintains a 3.79 grade point average while majoring in sports medicine, and she plans to enroll in medical school in the fall of 2010.
Holli Finneren, Georgia Southern, William V. Moore Graduate Scholarship presented by Sharp Business Systems
Georgia Southern’s Holli Finneren, a women’s soccer student-athlete for the past four seasons, is the recipient of the inaugural William V. Moore Graduate Scholarship presented by Sharp Business Systems, which was recently created in memory of former College of Charleston faculty athletics representative and President of the Southern Conference Bill Moore. Originally from Lake Orion, Mich., Finneren will earn a degree in kinesiology while majoring in exercise science and earning a minor in psychology. She currently boasts a 3.89 grade point average and is a three-time honoree on the GSU President’s List. A four-year letterwinner on the Eagles’ women’s soccer team, Finneren helped guide the squad to the SoCon semifinals in 2006, and she finished fourth on the team in points in 2007. In the community, Finneren has been active with the Special Olympics, Upward Soccer, Habitat for Humanity and Relay for Life. Following graduation, she plans to attend George Washington University where she will study physical therapy.
Tracy McCausland, Davidson, Bob McCloskey Insurance Graduate Scholarship
Davidson women’s soccer player Tracy McCausland is one of two recipients of the Bob McCloskey Insurance Graduate Scholarship. A forward and midfielder on Davidson’s women’s soccer team, McCausland finished her collegiate career with 10 goals, including a career-best six during her sophomore season. As a senior, she scored three game-winning goals, and during her four years at Davidson, the Wildcats finished either first or second in the league standings three times. Academically, McCausland currently has a 3.54 grade point average and is majoring in psychology with plans to pursue a master’s degree in industrial/organizational psychology, beginning in the fall. The Albuquerque, N.M., native has also served as the women’s soccer team’s representative on the school’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) for the past three seasons.
Cameron McCarthy, Appalachian State, Bob McCloskey Insurance Graduate Scholarship
Appalachian State’s Cameron McCarthy, a men’s soccer player, is the second recipient of the Bob McCloskey Insurance Graduate Scholarship. A defender and midfielder, McCarthy started in 51 career matches for the Mountaineers and helped the team to tie for second place in the regular season in 2008. The Auckland, New Zealand native boasts a 3.95 grade point average while majoring in physical education K-12 with a minor in health education. Following his graduation from ASU, McCarthy plans to study exercise science with the goal of becoming a teacher. McCarthy has earned numerous academic honors, including being named to ASU’s Chancellor’s List and Dean’s List as well as being a three-time honoree on the Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll. In 2007-08, he was honored as the Teacher Education Major of the Year at ASU. Among his various community activities are volunteering as a local soccer coach and serving as the vice president of the ASU Student Athletic Advisory Board.
Kylie Harmon, Samford, Camp Champs Graduate Scholarship
Samford softball infielder Kylie Harmon is a recipient of the Camp Champs Graduate Scholarship. On the diamond, Harmon is second on the team in hitting this season with a .349 average, and she leads the team with 11 stolen bases. She has been a letterwinner each season with the Bulldogs, seeing action in nearly 200 games including earning a start in all 54 games during her junior season. A biology major with a 3.86 grade point average, Harmon is a three-time recipient of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Scholar Athlete Award while also serving as a team captain. Originally from Matthews, Ala., Harmon has visited children at the local children’s hospital as well as serving as an assistant coach at the Samford Softball Inner City Clinic, which taught teenagers the fundamentals of softball. In the fall of 2010, Harmon plans to begin graduate studies with the intent of earning a doctorate in veterinary medicine.
Brittany Nagel, The Citadel, Camp Champs Graduate Scholarship
The Citadel’s Brittany Nagel, a women’s golfer for the Bulldogs, is also a recipient of the Camp Champs Graduate Scholarship. A native of Minot, N.D., Nagel is a political science major with a minor in Spanish, and she currently boasts a 3.978 grade point average. She has been named to The Citadel’s President’s List and Dean’s List seven times each while also earning a spot on the Southern Conference Academic All-Conference Team. Nagel plans to enter law school in the fall of 2009.A three-time letterwinner for the Bulldogs, she has volunteered with the Dee Norton Low Country Children’s Center, Trident United Way and she served as president of the women’s golf association. Nagel is also a member of the Phi Kappa Phi honor society.
Dave Hart Graduate Scholarship: Andrew Villarreal, Samford
Dorothy Hicks Graduate Scholarship: Laura Gioia, Furman
David Knight Graduate Scholarship: Kellie O’Connell, Samford
William V. Moore Graduate Scholarship presented by Sharp Business Systems: Holli Finneren, Georgia Southern
Bob McCloskey Insurance Graduate Scholarship: Tracy McCausland, Davidson; Cameron McCarthy, Appalachian State
Camp Champs Graduate Scholarship: Kylie Harmon, Samford; Brittany Nagel, The Citadel