Tusculum's McCullough and Gibson Named Recipients of 2020-21 South Atlantic Conference Presidents Award
ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – Tusculum's Annie McCullough and Trenton Gibson have been selected as the recipients of the 2020-21 South Atlantic Conference Presidents Award, the Conference announced today.
The highest individual honor presented annually by the South Atlantic Conference, the President's Award is voted on by the league's Faculty Athletic Representatives and to be eligible, student-athletes must exemplify excellence in athletics, academics and community service. Further, to be nominated for this prestigious award, the individual must have been honored as the Scholar-Athlete of the Year during the year in one of the league's 20 sponsored sports.
McCullough, a graduate student from Belfast, Northern Ireland, has earned a 3.983 GPA in Chemistry. All four years prior to the fifth year of her Pioneer career, she has been a member of the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll, Tusculum's Athletic Director's Honor Roll, the Dean's List, the President's List, Charles Oliver Gray Honors List, and an ITA Scholar-Athlete.
"I am thrilled to see Annie receive this award as the culmination of a stellar career at Tusculum and the South Atlantic Conference. She is proof that hard work and good character can take a talented player to the very top of their game. We are very proud of her and all of her accomplishments during her time with us," said Head Coach Adam Jackson.
The South Atlantic Conference 2019 Women's Tennis Player of the Year, McCullough, is a four-time All-South Atlantic Conference honoree in doubles including three with sister Caitlin McCullough. She is also an All-South Atlantic Conference honoree making first team in 2019 & 2021, second team in 2018 and honorable mention in 2017. McCullough was named to the South Atlantic Conference Astroturf Player of the week award at least once or more all four years, most notably she was a top-9 finalist in the 2019-20 NCAA National Woman of the Year award and was a CoSIDA Academic All-American and All-District first team for Division II Women's Tennis At-Large Team. She was named the 2021 Women's Tennis Scholar-Athlete of the year for her outstanding commitment both on and off the court.
McCullough has been a member of the Pioneer Student-Athlete Advisory Committee as the team representative every year. She has also participated in Nettie Day of Service, a campus-wide community service project at Tusculum, and the Make-A-Wish Fun Run/Walk. McCullough has been a part of the tennis team's efforts to assist a local family during the holiday season with Adopt-a-Family.
Gibson, a junior from Murfreesboro, N.C., is a sports management major with a 3.96 GPA. The 2020-21 SAC Men's Basketball Player of the Year, Gibson was the only player in the SAC to be ranked in the top-five in scoring (third), rebounding (third), and assists (fourth). He averaged 18.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game. The 2019 SAC Freshman of the Year and 2020 SAC Elite 20 Award winner, Gibson scored 20 or more points on seven occasions this season including a career-high 31 points against UVA Wise. In addition to being named Player of the Year, Gibson was also a first team All-SAC selection.
"Trenton has worked tremendously hard both on the basketball court and in the classroom. He exemplifies the finest qualities of what a student-athlete should be. As a basketball coach, you can't ask or hope for a better representative of your team, university or conference. I am very proud of Trenton and congratulate him on this outstanding achievement, "said Tusculum head men's basketball coach JT Burton.
A top-level academic student-athlete, Gibson is a three-time Charles Oliver Gray Honors List selection, a three-time Dean's List honoree, and a three-time Tusculum President's List selection. He was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Men's Basketball First Team in 2019-20, is a two-time Division II Athletic Directors Association Honor Roll selection, is a member of the Alpha Chi Honor Society, and has been named to the Tusculum Athletic Director's Honor Roll and SAC Commissioner's Honor three times. He was named the 2021 Men's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the year for his outstanding commitment both on and off the court.
In addition to his success on the basketball court and in the classroom, Gibson has been an active member of the community. He volunteers at the Nettie Day of Service, is a member of the Pioneer Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and is a Pioneer Peer serving as a mentor for incoming freshmen. He volunteers as a youth basketball coach with the Above the Rim program and has served as a sports management intern within the Tusculum Athletic department for the last year.
2020-21 SAC Presidents Award Women's Finalists
Annie McCullough, Tusculum
Kylie Dahlberg, Lenoir-Rhyne
Rachel Taylor, Lincoln Memorial
Ully Martins, Mars Hill
Victoria Hall, Anderson
2020-21 SAC Presidents Award Men's Finalists
Andrew Strickland, Wingate
Dan Bradbury, Lincoln Memorial
Jeppe Christensen, Mars Hill
Martin Knauer, Queens
Myles Moffat, Lenoir-Rhyne
Trenton Gibson, Tusculum