The Big South Conference today honored Gardner-Webb University student-athletes, Allie Mills (women's tennis) and Aaron Linn (men's basketball) with the prestigious George A. Christenberry Award for Academic Excellence. Mills is a 4.00 student in chemistry/biology. Linn graduated in December 2009 with a 3.95 in economics/finance. Big South member institutions nominate one male and one female student-athlete - regardless if the sport is sponsored by the Big South - for the annual Christenberry Award. The award is given to the male and female student-athlete who attain the highest GPA during their college careers and are graduates of a member institution during the past year. In case of ties, additional awards are provided. The honor is named for George A. Christenberry, the former President of Augusta College, now Augusta State University, and one of the founders of the Big South Conference. A member of the Big South Hall of Fame, Christenberry served as the League's first President from 1983-86. It is the seventh time in the last eight years that more than two student-athletes have been honored.
"The Christenberry Award is the highest academic honor awarded to Big South student-athletes," said Big South Conference Commissioner Kyle B. Kallander. "We congratulate Mikaela, Allie and Aaron for their accomplishments in the classroom and on the field of play. Their careers truly exemplify the highest ideals of the Big South Conference."
Mills (Spencer, N.C.) played this past season in four singles matches, earning a 3-1 record. Her win against North Carolina Central gave the Lady Bulldogs the 4-3 overall victory. She teamed with Tavenner Black in three doubles matches, posting a 2-1 mark. In 2008, Mills played in 17 matches at the No. 6 singles position. She recorded three wins in singles play, and teamed with Jenny Gomez to win a match at No. 3 doubles. Mills also won two matches at No. 3 doubles with Monica Walser. During her career, Mills received Big South Presidential Honor Roll accolades in 2009, as well as being named to the Atlantic Sun All-Academic Team in 2007 and 2008. She did not appear in any matches in 2007 and 2009. Mills is a member of the GlaxoSmithKline Women in Science Scholars Program, which couples a scholarship with a mentoring program that provides professional guidance from women who have excelled in various science-related fields.
Linn (Lenexa, Kan.) was the Big South's Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year for 2008-09. An ESPN The Magazine /CoSIDA First-Team Academic All-American in 2009, Linn graduated from Gardner-Webb this past December with a 3.95 grade-point average in finance. He was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) annual Honors Court following his senior season on the hardwood. Linn earned All-Conference Second-Team honors in 2008-09 after averaging 14.3 points to rank second on the team and 13th in the Big South. He also ranked fifth in the Conference in free throw percentage (.780), was fourth in steals (1.97), 10th in field goal percentage (.425), and tied for 11th in assists (3.00). He scored in double figures 16 times in his last 18 starts of the season. As a junior, Linn was named the Most Valuable Player at the 2007 2K Sports Classic Lexington Regional where the Runnin' Bulldogs upset No. 20 Kentucky.
Gardner-Webb University Press Release
