Gardner-Webb Women’s Swimmer Alexandra Haasser Receives Big South Conference’s Prestigious George A. Christenberry Award

Honor Recognizes Student-Athletes with the Highest GPA During Undergraduate Collegiate Careers

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.—The Big South recognized Alexandra “Alex” Haasser as one of six student-athletes to receive the Conference’s prestigious Christenberry Award for Academic Excellence. The award is given to male and female student-athletes who attain the highest GPA during their undergraduate collegiate careers. It is the 12th consecutive year at least six student-athletes have been honored.

Big South member institutions nominate one male and one female undergraduate 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.

Haasser, who graduated in May 2024, achieved a 4.00 in Biology/Biomedical Science during her time on campus in Boiling Springs. She is continuing her education at the University of Florida Dental School in Gainesville.

“I am pursuing dentistry, because I believe oral health is extremely important and often overlooked,” Haasser shared. “As a dentist, I will be able to serve my community while also creating long term relationships with my patients. The interactions I had with my own dentists showed me the importance of having a dentist that I trust and can relate to.”

She chose to swim at Gardner-Webb because of the academic program and smaller student-faculty ratio. “I felt that the small school atmosphere would give me the opportunity to excel in school,” Haasser reflected. “I believe the faculty has set an amazing foundation for my education for dental school. The faculty in the Department of Natural Sciences has done a great job in making courses rigorous while also providing excellent instruction. They wanted to make sure their students understood the coursework and were always available to meet if there were any problems. They cared about me as a person, which made me feel valued as a student.”

In addition to her academic excellence, the Seffner, Fla., native had a stellar career in the swimming pool for the Runnin’ Bulldogs. “Alex has been an absolute pleasure to work with the last four years,” said Gardner-Webb head swimming coach Michael Blum. “She sets an example of how to balance an athletic and academic career. Alex will be attending UF Dental school in the fall and we could not be prouder of her. We are going to miss her sense of humor and her work ethic. She has made a lasting impact on our program for the better.”

Haasser was Top 35 in all three of her events at the 2024 ASUN Swimming & Diving Championships.

During her junior year, Haasser recorded eight top-10 finishes across seven meets in 2022-23.  She finished second in the 100-yard breaststroke vs. VMI (10/15) with a time of 1:09.81 and swam a season best time of 24.34 in the 50-yard freestyle at the CCSA Championships.

In 2021-22, Haasser recorded eight top-10 finishes across seven meets and had season bests in the 50-yard breaststroke (30.85) and the 100-yard breaststroke (1:06.27) at the CCSA Championships.

As a freshman in 2020-21, she posted nine top-10 finishes across five meets.  She set a personal best in the 50-yard freestyle at the CCSA Championships with a time of 24.28, as well as a PR in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:05.78.

“We are going to miss Alex and her entire family next season but are thankful for the last four years. I’m incredibly proud of the effort that Alexandra put in this season,” said Vice President and Director of Athletics Dr. Andrew Goodrich. “Alexandra winning the Prestigious Christenberry Award is a tremendous honor for her, her family, and the Runnin’ Bulldogs community. She is an incredible young woman who has impacted her teammates in such a positive way as much out of the pool as she has in it. She has made the Gardner-Webb community proud during her time in Boiling Springs!”

Source: gwusports.com

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.