The Big South Conference announced this month that 58.69 percent of eligible student-athletes
have earned Presidential Honor Roll status for their work in the classroom in 2017-18
-- the second-highest percentage in league history. To be named to the Presidential Honor Roll, student-athletes had to maintain a grade
point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or better for the recently completed academic
year, and this past season, 1,750 out of 2,982 eligible student-athletes achieved
the benchmark. 
ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA — Winthrop University placed third in the Big South Conference with 65.40 percent of its 263 student-athletes earning Presidential Honor Roll status for the 2017-18 school year.
The Big South Conference announced this month that 58.69 percent of eligible student-athletes have earned
Presidential Honor Roll status for their work in the classroom in 2017-18 -- the second-highest
percentage in league history.
To be named to the Presidential Honor Roll, student-athletes had to maintain a grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or
better for the recently completed academic year, and this past season, 1,750 out of
2,982 eligible student-athletes achieved the benchmark. In addition, the 58.69 percentage
marks the fourth consecutive year above 50 percent.
High Point University led all Big South institutions with 76.72 percent of its 232
eligible student-athletes, followed by Gardner-Webb University with 68.12 percent
of its 345 student-athletes.
Beginning this year, new award recognition levels were established within the Presidential Honor Roll. There is the Commissioner's Award (4.0 GPA), Gold Award (3.75-3.99), Silver Award
(3.50-3.74) and Bronze Award (3.00-3.49). The Big South had 187 student-athletes
receive Commissioner's Award distinction in 2017-18, which was an increase of 52 over
2016-17.
Winthrop's 4.0 student-athletes given the Commissioner's Award from 2017-18 are:
John Pike, baseball; Anders Broman, men's basketball; Zak Butt, men's golf; Kenneth
Perkinson and Nil Vinyals Cierco, men's soccer; Leandros Pappayiannis, men's tennis;
Noell Kellers and Ronata Rogers, women's basketball; Katie Clark, Alaina Girani and
Katherine Judge, lacrosse; Zoe Conover, Courtney McLeod and Joanna Taylor, women's
soccer; Brooke Ellison, Ansley Gilreath and Sabrina Shroades, softball; Megan Kauffman,
women's tennis; and Emily Sparrow, women's track and field/cross country.
For more information, contact Brittany Lane, Winthrop assistant athletic director for marketing and communications, at laneb@winthrop.edu.
