Wingate’s Anna Atkinson, Tusculum’s Jarrell NeSmith Receive 2008-09 SAC Presidents Award

ROCK HILL, SC - One of the most decorated women's basketball players in conference history and an All-American football player have been named the 2008-09 South Atlantic Conference Presidents Award recipients, following a vote of the league's Faculty Athletics Representatives at the annual SAC business meetings in Asheville, N.C.

Senior women's basketball player Anna Atkinson from Wingate University and junior football player Jarrell NeSmith from Tusculum College and are this year's honorees.

The SAC Presidents Award is considered one of the most prestigious awards the conference awards to its student-athletes. It exemplifies the finest combined qualities of excellence in athletics, academics and community leadership. During the year, the South Atlantic Conference recognizes 14 Scholar-Athletes, representing each of the conference-sponsored sports. The top male and female SAC Scholar-Athletes from each represented member school are then nominated for the Presidents Award.

Atkinson, a senior point guard Anna Atkinson from Marion, N.C. (McDowell HS) wins the Presidents Award for the second year in a row. She becomes the seventh person in SAC history to win the award twice.

Atkinson was also selected the SAC Woman of the Year in a separate vote by the league's Senior Woman Administrators.

NeSmith becomes the second Tusculum College football player to win the award. Glen Black won the award in 2007.

Atkinson wrapped up her stellar career by being named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® women's basketball first team (college division) for the second year in a row. In addition, she was named the SAC's Women's Basketball Player of the Year for the second year in a row. She earned the SAC Scholar-Athlete Award for women's basketball for the third year in a row.

She graduated in May with a perfect 4.0 GPA with a degree in biology, with pre-dental specialization. She plans to attend dental school and received a $1,000 scholarship from the WBCA and an NCAA post-graduate scholarship of $7,500.

Atkinson is one of the most decorated student-athletes in league history. In March, the McDowell High School product was named to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) NCAA Division II State Farm Coaches' All-America honorable mention team. Atkinson was also named to the 2009 Daktronics All-Southeast Region first team during March, in addition to her WBCA regional finalist for All-America distinction.

Outside of academics and basketball, Atkinson has spent time volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, helping to build homes for local residents. She was a Union County Public School System volunteer, spending one year as a reading mentor at Wingate Elementary School. Last summer, Atkinson served as a Vacation Bible School volunteer at First United Methodist Church in Marion.

A four-year starting point guard for the Bulldogs, Atkinson led the SAC in assists per game (6.6), steals per game (3.5) and assist-to-turnover ratio (3.5) this year. She was ranked first in the NCAA Division II national rankings in assist-to-turnover ratio and fourth in assists per game. Atkinson set the SAC career steals record Saturday, Feb. 28, 2009. A four-year All-SAC performer, Atkinson averaged a career-best 16.3 points per game her senior year.

In 2008, Atkinson and her teammates led the Wingate women's basketball team to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight. Atkinson earned the South Atlantic Conference Female Athlete of the Year Award and the South Atlantic Conference Presidents' Award, presented to the conference's top female scholar-athlete. She is only the third person in conference history to win both of the league's prestigious post-season awards.

In September, Atkinson was named the NCAA Division II Conference Commissioners' Association Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award, presented to the top scholar-athlete from the 23 Division II conferences.

As the SAC Presidents Award winner, Atkinson and NeSmith will be eligible for the CCA award.

NeSmith, a 6-2, 215-pound junior from Russellville, Ala., has a 3.86 cumulative grade point average as a Pre-Medicine major. He was named the SAC Scholar Athlete for Football for a second consecutive year.

He was named a first-team All-Conference selection at tight end and caught 67 passes for 635 yards and seven touchdowns this season. His catch tally is the third-best in school history and he ranked second in the league in receptions per game.

NeSmith was named to the Associated Press Little All-America Team, the Daktronics Division II All-America Team, the D2Football.com All-America Team and the Football Gazette All-America Team.

He received the 2006-07 Duffield Award, presented to the Tusculum male student-athlete with the highest GPA and was the 2005-06 Tusculum Academic Freshman of the Year. He is a member of the South Atlantic Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll and the Tusculum Athletic Director's Honor Roll. He is also on the Dean's List, President's List and Charles Oliver Gray Honors List. He was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV team for the second year in a row.

In the community, NeSmith has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, Adopt-a-Highway and Drug Awareness program at Holston Homes for Children in Greeneville, Tenn. He also volunteers with the Lunch Buddies program at Doak Elementary School, which provides mentoring relationships between the Tusculum football players and the school children. He has spoken to youth and high school students on the importance of education and college life at South Greene High School and the Chucky Mullins center.