MCDANIEL AWARDED BIG SOUTH’S GEORGE A. CHRISTENBERRY AWARD

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Senior Jourdan McDaniel of the Radford Women's Soccer team was awarded the Big South's prestigious George A. Christenberry Award for Academic Excellence, announced Wednesday by the league office. The award is given to the male and female student-athlete who attains the highest GPA during their college careers. All four student-athletes will graduate later this month.

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 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.

McDaniel is a 4.0 student in exercise, sport & health education with a concentration in sports medicine. She is Radford's seventh recipient of the Big South's Christenberry Award and first since Ally Spector in 2008-09.

McDaniel helped Radford win two Big South Tournament championships and one regular-season title during her career. She appeared in 27 career games and tallied two goals and two assists for Radford, with both goals coming in her junior season.

McDaniel recorded an assist during her sophomore and senior campaigns, and saw action in Radford's NCAA Tournament match at No. 3 Duke this past fall in the final match of her career. A co-captain, McDaniel scored her first career goal on Aug. 28, 2009 against Howard, which proved to be the game-winner.

McDaniel has been named to the Big South Presidential Honor Roll three times and has posted a perfect 4.0 every semester. She has been accepted into Radford's doctoral program in physical therapy.

Below are the 2011-12 Big South Conference Christenberry Award candidates, as nominated by their institutions. Each individual received a personalized medallion for this achievement.

School -- Female Nominee (sport), Male Nominee (sport)
Campbell -- Amanda O'Neill (basketball), Joshua Holskey (baseball)
Charleston Southern -- Kristin Kelleher (softball), Charlie McCready (baseball)
Coastal Carolina -- Julia Baldwin (soccer), Tucker Frawley (baseball)
Gardner-Webb -- Jane Savage (soccer), Josh Padgett (track & field)
High Point -- Brielle Spencer (soccer), Sal Pezzino (baseball)
Liberty -- Laura Nyholt (soccer), Kevin Reddington (cross country/track)
Presbyterian College -- Laura Meade (lacrosse), Bobby Keskey (soccer)
Radford -- Jourdan McDaniel (soccer), Brett Olinger (track & field)
UNC Asheville -- Emma Sell-Goodhand (soccer), J.J. Morrow (soccer)
VMI -- Caroline Wortham (track & field), Dallas Disbro (swimming)
Winthrop -- Rachel Webster (soccer), Matt Horn (soccer)

Print Friendly Version