news-category: Academics Gardner-Webb Paces Big South With Four 2020 Christenberry Award Winners By Office of University Communications On May 22, 2020 Allison Chandler, Jennifer Jackson, Courtney Kanetzke and Brian Stepanek Achieve Honors BOILING SPRINGS, NC—Gardner-Webb University once again led the way, as the Big South Conference announced a record 12 student-athletes as recipients of the 2020 George A. Christenberry Award for Academic Excellence. The Runnin’ Bulldogs had four recipients. No other Big South school had more than two. The Gardner-Webb quartet included women’s golfer Allison Chandler, women’s swimmer Jennifer Jackson, women’s track and cross country runner Courtney Kanetzke and men’s soccer player Brian Stepanek. The award is given to the male and female student-athlete within the conference who attain the highest cumulative GPA during their undergraduate collegiate careers. 2020 marks the eighth year in a row that the league has posted a record total. Each of the 12 Big South student-athletes honored in 2020 boasted perfect 4.0 GPAs for their careers. Chandler (Chester, Nova Scotia) was the 2020 Big South Women’s Golf Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year. In 2019-20, she was second on the Runnin’ Bulldogs and 12th overall in the Big South with a career-best 75.00 scoring average — nearly three strokes ahead of her previous best. She helped the squad to a pair of second-place finishes in the fall. Chandler led the team in scoring as a junior and was team medalist twice during the spring season. A two-time WGCA All-America Scholar-Athlete selection, Chandler has been a member of the Dean’s List and Alpha Chi Honor Society while at Gardner-Webb.Jackson (Rocky Mount, N.C.) excelled in the pool as a senior in 2019-20, setting personal records in each event swam at the 2020 CCSA Championships. She was a member of an All-Conference relay team, as her 200-yard medley relay finished third at the event. Jackson was also part of fourth-place finishes in the 200-yard free relay and 400-yard medley relay at the 2020 CCSA Championships. A finalist for CCSA Scholar-Athlete of the Year, she earned her third spot in three seasons on the CCSA Academic All-Conference Team. Jackson received Gardner-Webb’s Dr. Dee “Doc” Hunt Academic Achievement Award in 2018, and was a member of the Gardner-Webb Dean’s List and Alpha Chi Honor Society.Kanetzke (Mills River, N.C.) competed in the 3,000m run for the Runnin’ Bulldogs during the indoor season and with the cross country team this past fall. She also competed in the outdoor 5,000m run and 1,500m run during her collegiate career. She set a personal record with a time of 12:20.98 at the 2020 VMI Indoor Classic, and had outdoor bests in the 1,500m run (5:41.78) and 5,000m run (22:21.14) during the 2019 outdoor campaign. A Dean’s List and Alpha Chi Honor Society member at Gardner-Webb, Kanetzke was part of a GWU delegation to the National Honors Conference in New Orleans, La. She also participated in the Southern Regional Honors Council in Memphis, Tenn., in 2019, and was a member of the 2020 Gardner-Webb University Who’s Who list.Stepanek (Davidson, N.C.) played in 25 career matches, including a career-high 12 contests in 2018. He made four career starts for the Runnin’ Bulldogs and recorded one goal and one assist. Stepanek earned CoSIDA Academic All-America honors following the 2018 season — the first national academic honor for a GWU men’s soccer student-athlete since 2009. He was also named to the 2018 United Soccer Coaches Association’s Scholar All-South Region Team, and has been a Dean’s List member at Gardner-Webb. Gardner-Webb also led the Big South with four Christenberry Award winners in 2019. Located in the North Carolina foothills, Gardner-Webb University is a private, Christian, liberal arts university. Gardner-Webb emphasizes a strong student-centered experience and rigorous academics to prepare students to become effective leaders within the global community. Ignite your future at Gardner-Webb.edu.
News Article Gardner-Webb Assistant Provost Dr. Greg Pillar Selected to Participate in National Conference Inaugural HigherEd PodCon Showcases Over 40 Presenters from North America BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.—Gardner-Webb University Assistant Provost Dr. Greg Pillar has been selected to participate in the inaugural HigherEd PodCon set for July 12 at the University of Illinois in Chicago. Pillar is one of over 40 presenters and will be featured in a session on […] Office of University Communications | May 14, 2025
News Article Gardner-Webb Alumnus and Retired Navy Commander John E. Sutton is Speaker for University’s Memorial Day Observance Ceremony will be Held on May 23 at 11 a.m. in Dover Chapel BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.—Gardner-Webb will host its Memorial Day Observance on Friday, May 23, at 11 a.m. in Dover Chapel, and the public is welcome to attend. Each year, the University sets aside this time to remember the lives of those who have […] Office of University Communications | May 13, 2025
News Article Gardner-Webb Celebrates Achievements of Nearly 500 Graduates University Awards its 25,000th Bachelor’s Degree During Spring Commencement Ceremony BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.—Gardner-Webb University hosted its Spring Commencement Ceremony on Thursday, May 8, at 6:30 p.m. in Lutz-Yelton Convocation Center. Families and guests celebrated the achievements of nearly 500 students in traditional undergraduate, online, and graduate programs of study. Gardner-Webb University Interim President Nate Evans […] Office of University Communications | May 8, 2025