SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Mercer University has claimed the 2019-20 Barrett-Bonner Award, given annually to the school with the highest percentage of its student-athletes on the Southern Conference Honor Roll. The award is fifth straight for the Bears.
 
Mercer saw 73.5 percent of its student-athletes, or 303 of its 412, on the Honor Roll, which honors student-athletes who post at least a 3.0 grade-point average for the academic year prior.
 
In addition to leading the SoCon in total Honor Roll selections and percentage of student-athletes on the Honor Roll, the Bears had a league-best 79 student-athletes earn the Commissioner’s Medal for posting a GPA of at least 3.8 and had a SoCon-high 33 student-athletes register 4.0s.
 
First presented for the 1992-93 academic year, the Barrett-Bonner Award is named after Col. John G. Barrett, faculty athletics representative at VMI from 1965-87, and Dr. Francis W. Bonner, faculty athletics representative at Furman from 1968-90.