Gardner-Webb Student-Athletes Reese Jones and Theo Drescher Receive Christenberry Award

Prestigious Honor Presented to Undergraduate Student-Athletes who Attain the Highest GPA

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.—The Big South Conference announced that a league record-tying 12 student-athletes have been awarded the Conference’s prestigious George A. 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. 

It is the 13th consecutive year at least six student-athletes have been honored, and matches the record number of recipients first achieved in 2019-20.

Receiving the honor from Gardner-Webb are women’s lacrosse player Reese Jones (4.00 in biology/biomedical science) and GWU men’s swimmer Theodore “Theo” Drescher (4.00 in graphic design). Both students were also recognized with Senior Scholastic Awards at the commencement ceremony on May 8.

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.

Jones, of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, participated in the Honors Program and was a Summer Fellow. She was named to the Dean’s List twice, President’s List six times, and graduated as part of Alpha Chi with a cumulative 4.0 GPA with her degree in biology, with a concentration in biomedical science. She was a member of the Sigma Zeta National Honor Society and received the Paul J. Stacy Award in Biology.

On the field, Jones started 40 matches for the Runnin’ Bulldogs and made 65 appearances over her four-year career, with five goals scored, 49 ground balls, and 30 caused turnovers, including a career-best 12 in the 2025 season.

Drescher, of Gainesville, Va., was a four-year member of the Gardner-Webb swimming program. He was named to the Dean’s List twice, President’s List six times, and graduated as part of Alpha Chi with a cumulative 4.0 GPA with his degree in graphic design, while working on a minor in theater arts. He received the graphic design award from the Department of Communication, Art and Design and the Excellence in Acting and Performance Award from the Department of Theatre Arts.

Drescher posted a decorated career in the pool as well, including Third Team All-CCSA honors as a member of the 800-yard freestyle relay team as a sophomore, a fifth-place finish in the 500-yard freestyle at the CCSA finals as a junior, and a second-place run as a member of the 800-yard relay team during his senior season at the ASUN Championships.

Courtesy Big South Sports

Gardner-Webb University is North Carolina’s recognized leader in private, Christian higher education. A Carnegie-Classified Doctoral/Professional University, GWU is home to nine colleges and schools, more than 80 undergraduate and graduate majors, and a world-class faculty. Located on a beautiful 225-acre campus in Boiling Springs, N.C., Gardner-Webb prepares graduates to impact their chosen professions, equips them with the skills to advance the frontiers of knowledge, and inspires them to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of others. Ignite your future at Gardner-Webb.edu.