ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA – Winthrop University seniors Mattison Pike of baseball and Blake Wallert of softball are among a record 10 Big South Conference student-athletes named as 2019 Christenberry Award Winners for Academic Excellence.
The award is given to the male and female student-athlete who attain the highest GPA
in the conference during their undergraduate careers. This is the sixth consecutive
year with a record total.
Each Big South institution nominates a male and a female undergraduate student-athlete for the award.
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. A member of the Big South Hall of Fame, Christenberry served
as the league's first president from 1983-86.
Pike of Beaufort, South Carolina, was a four-year member of the Winthrop baseball team,
appearing in 16 games during his career. He earned his degree from Winthrop this spring
with honors. A chemistry major, Pike completed all courses in Winthrop’s ASBMB-accredited
biochemistry degree track, one that has the greatest number of requirements among
the seven chemistry concentrations. He will attend the Medical University of South
Carolina in August.
Wallert of Clover, South Carolina, was voted the 2019 Softball Scholar-Athlete of the Year,
and helped the Eagles to a runner-up finish in the Big South Softball Championship.
She batted a career-high .309 this season (second on the squad) with a career-best
32 runs scored and 20 RBI, and led the squad with 15 runs batted in during the Big
South campaign. She ended her playing career with 76 runs, 119 hits, 23 doubles, nine
home runs, and 58 RBI in 167 career games (152 starts).
Wallert received the President's Award for Academic Excellence during the university’s May 4 Commencement ceremony. An exercise science major, Wallert
took an array of physics and chemistry courses and a significant number of advanced
exercise science classes. She will begin the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at
the University of Florida in August.
The Christenberry Award is the highest academic honor awarded to Big South student-athletes,
according to Big South Conference Commissioner Kyle Kallander. "It is incredible to
think that a record 10 individuals completed their undergraduate academic career with
perfect GPAs, especially with the demands placed on them as student-athletes," he
said. "Their academic careers truly exemplify the highest ideals of the Big South
Conference."
For more information, contactBrittany Lane, Winthrop assistant athletic director for marketing and communications, at laneb@winthrop.edu.
