Wingate's Belsito, Tusculum's McCullough Named South Atlantic Conference Scholar-Athletes of the Year for Men's and Women's Tennis

ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – Wingate's Daniel Belsito was voted the South Atlantic Conference Men's Tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year, while Annie McCullough from Tusculum picked up the women's honor, the Conference office announced today. This is the second consecutive year that both student-athletes have received this prestigious honor.

The South Atlantic Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year award is presented annually to one student-athlete in each of the Conference's championship sports, and is voted on by the SAC's Faculty Athletic Representatives Committee. The winners are selected based on their achievements in academics, athletics, service, and leadership.

Belsito, a graduate student from Charlotte, N.C., holds a 4.0 GPA as a Master of Arts in Sports Management major. A three-time member of the South Atlantic Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll, Belsito has also seen his name on the Wingate President's and Dean's List, as well as an ITA Scholar-Athlete three times. He was a Third Team Academic All-America and Academic All-District selection, while also being named the SAC Men's Tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Man of the Year in 2019. 

"Daniel has been a leader for our team for the past three seasons," Wingate head men's and women's tennis coach Michael Cabana says. "His success in the classroom is just as impressive as his success on the court! His dedication to his studies is second to none. I am so proud of all of Daniel's success athletically and academically. He is a great ambassador for the term student-athlete! He has helped guide the tennis program to a top-five national ranking and back-to-back conference championships. Daniel has been dedicated to making every team member better and helps drive them every day to make his teammates better. He is one of the most competitive players I have ever coached. He strives to be the best and he carries himself in a first class manner. He treats his competitors the way he wishes to be treated and his level of sportsmanship is to be commended."    

The three-time Wingate co-captain has been a member of three first team all-conference doubles pairings and has been named first team all-conference in singles action three times as well. Belsito closed out the 2020 season ranked No. 6 nationally for his singles play and No. 5 in doubles with partner Josep Canyadell. He posted a 5-0 record at No. 1 singles defeating nationally ranked No. 3 West Florida and No. 5 Saint Leo before the season was cut short.

In every season as a Bulldog, Belsito has participated in the annual "Day of Caring" Service Projects, annual weekend junior tennis clinics at Providence Country Club, participated in sports management experiential learning projects, and led tennis clinics for the Wingate community. He spearheaded Wingate's inaugural "Set the Expectation" match and was named a Wingate University Presidential Ambassador.

McCullough, a senior from Belfast, Northern Ireland, has earned a 3.983 GPA in chemistry. All four years 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.

"Annie continues to be the epitome of a Tusculum Pioneer," said Tusculum head men's and women's tennis coach Adam Jackson. "She is as dedicated to her academic pursuits as she is to her success on the tennis court, and she is very talented in both fields. We are lucky to have her represent our program."

The 2019 SAC Women's Tennis Player of the Year, McCullough is a three-time All-Conference selection in singles and a two-time first team in doubles with her sister Caitlin. Along with her sibling, McCullough has been a part of a nationally ranked doubles team for the past three seasons and becomes the first-ever ITA All-American in Tusculum history.

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 efforts to assists a local family during the holiday season with Adopt-a-Family.

SAC Men's Tennis Scholar-Athlete Finalists

Agustin Aran Martin, Queens
Gabriel Dabdab, Carson-Newman
Hunter Horton, Coker
Paul Lenz, Lenoir-Rhyne
Xavier Marti, Lincoln Memorial

SAC Women's Tennis Scholar-Athlete Finalists

Charlotte Clark, Coker
Chyi Lee, Wingate
Hannah Price, Carson-Newman
Kiersten Waugh, Lincoln Memorial
Sanne Janssen, Lenoir-Rhyne
Sophie Hirsch, Catawba

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