Tennis Player Receives One of Two Big South Conference Graduate Fellowships

ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA - Winthrop University men's tennis player Steven Patrick has been awarded one of the two Bob McCloskey Insurance Big South Conference Graduate Fellowships that recognizes academic excellence and an intent to pursue postgraduate studies following graduation.

Patrick and the other recipient, Longwood University women's soccer player Olivia Colella, will receive their awards of $2,000 each on June 2 to use for their respective graduate studies. The presentation is part of the Big South Conference's annual Spring Awards Dinner and Hall of Fame Banquet in Hilton Head, South Carolina.

Bob McCloskey Insurance, a Big South corporate partner, established the award in 2005.

Patrick of Knoxville, Tennessee, completed his fourth season this spring as a member of the Eagles' tennis team. He won five singles matches, all at the No. 4 flight, and posted a 12-11 record with Tremayne Mitchell at No. 1 doubles to earn Second-Team All-Conference honors. He was part of the Eagles' Big South Championship squad in 2014 and 2015 and had served as a co-captain of the team since his first year.

Patrick graduated with a 3.960 GPA in biology and plans to attend medical school. 

A three-time Big South Presidential Honor Roll member and three-time ITA Scholar-Athlete, Patrick was co-president of Winthrop's Student-Athlete Advisory Council this past spring. He spent time in the community with the local Boys & Girls Club, the Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte and as a volunteer with various youth tennis clinics.

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.

For more information, contact Jack Frost, assistant athletic director for media relations, at frostj@winthrop.edu or at 803/323-2129, ext. 6245.