Barbato and Krach Earn Prestigious Big South Christenberry Award

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Big South Conference announced Thursday afternoon that Cassi Barbato (Softball) and Marley Krach (Women's Soccer) have been award the prestigious Christenberry Award for Academic Excellence.

The award is given to a graduating male and female student-athlete who attain the highest GPA during their undergraduate collegiate careers. 2025 marks the 13th consecutive season that at least six Big South student-athletes have been honored with the 12 total recipients tying a conference record.

A four-year Highlander and a leader on and off the field, Barbato graduates this spring after earning a 4.0 GPA as an Exercise, Sport and Health Education major. Most recently named the Big South's Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Barbato has also collected multiple NFCA all-academic awards, Dean's List and Presidential Honor Roll awards throughout her Radford career. On the field, Barbato has been a consistent starter all four seasons appearing in 190 games with 181 starts while totaling 141 hits, 21 doubles, 7 home runs, 80 RBI, 53 runs scored and 10 sacrifice hits which rank top 10 in program history.

Krach graduates from Radford this spring after earning a 4.0 GPA towards her degree in Biology. Splitting time at midfield and defender, Krach appeared in 19 games throughout her Radford career totaling 286 minutes played. In 2024, she struck her first and second career goals in a win over South Carolina State and secured a tie at Winthrop. In her three years at Radford, Krach has been named to the Dean's List every semester as well as the president's honor roll all three seasons.

Barbato and Krach mark the third consecutive season a Radford student-athlete has earned the academic award. In 2024, fellow women's soccer alumna Kristen Chick last took home the honor. Overall, Radford now totals 21 student-athletes who have earned the Christenberry Award.

Big South member institutions nominate one male and one female student-athlete for the annual Christenberry Award, or multiple student-athletes that tie for the highest GPA on their respective campus. The honor is named for George A. Christenberry, the former President of Augusta College (now Augusta 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.

BIG SOUTH CHRISTENBERRY AWARD RECIPIENTS
Radford softball player Cassi Barbato (4.00 in Exercise, Sport and Health Education)
Gardner-Webb men's swimmer Theodore Drescher (4.00 in Graphic Design)
Longwood women's lacrosse player Elena Firestone (4.00 in Computer Science)
USC Upstate volleyball player Julia Gladhill (4.00 in Early Childhood Education)
Presbyterian women's soccer player Kelly Hall (4.00 in Business Administration)
USC Upstate volleyball player Ali Jansen (4.00 in Middle Level Education)
USC Upstate men's soccer player Cooper Jennings (4.00 in Management)
Gardner-Webb women's lacrosse player Reese Jones (4.00 in Biology/Biomedical Science)
Radford women's soccer player Marley Krach (4.00 in Biology)
Winthrop women's soccer player Lily Meisten (4.00 in Biology)
Charleston Southern women's soccer player Sydney Thomas (4.00 in Management)
Longwood women's cross country runner Lauren Vick (4.00 in Communication Sciences & Disorders)

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Players Mentioned

#3 Kristen Chick: M; 5' 5"; Senior

#26 Marley Krach: M/D; 5' 10"; Junior; Challenge Soccer Club

#13 Cassi Barbato: C/IF; 5' 7"; Senior; L/R

Players Mentioned

#3 Kristen Chick
: 5' 5"; Senior
: M

#26 Marley Krach
: 5' 10"; Junior; Challenge Soccer Club
: M/D

#13 Cassi Barbato
: 5' 7"; Senior; L/R
: C/IF

Players Mentioned

#3 Kristen Chick

#26 Marley Krach

#13 Cassi Barbato

Players Mentioned

#3 Kristen Chick

#26 Marley Krach

#13 Cassi Barbato