Each year the USA South Athletic Conference presents its most prestigious awards by honoring one male and one female as the Student-Athletes of the Year. These student-athletes are recognized as recipients of the Don Scalf Award (male) and the Rita Wiggs Award (female). The 2020 Rita Wiggs Award winner is Maryville College women's soccer student-athlete Shannon Reagan while the 2020 Don Scalf Award goes to Methodist University baseball student-athlete Alex Kachler.

To be eligible for each award a student-athlete must have competed in a NCAA-sponsored sport, earned an undergraduate degree no later than the summer 2020 term and have a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.50 on a 4.00 scale.

Don Scalf's commitment to the student-athlete, guardianship of the value of academic achievement and devotion to the principles of Division III athletics set a standard that holds steadfast in the Conference today. He taught for 36 years and coached for 18 at N.C. Wesleyan College. He also served as Athletic Director at N.C. Wesleyan for six years. During his coaching career his teams won Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic Conference basketball and golf championships. In addition, he was a founding father of the DIAC in 1963 and served as its Secretary-Treasurer for 25 years.

Former Commissioner Rita Wiggs, a tireless advocate of women's collegiate athletics as well a constant encourager of service to one's community, was the USA South's first full-time Commissioner serving the League for 16 years. In the spring of 2016 she was inducted into the USA South Hall of Fame. The Wiggs Award honoree is also the Conference's nominee for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award. For more information on the NCAA Woman of the Year Award, click HERE.

Rita Wiggs Award: Shannon Reagan - Maryville College

Reagan concluded her collegiate athletic career this past fall after helping the Maryville women's soccer team capture the USA South Tournament Championship. Reagan was named the Conference's Player of the Year and earned First Team All-Conference honors as she led the League in goals, assists and points in 2019. She was a two-time First Team All-Conference performer and was named All-South Atlantic Region once during her time as a Scot. In the classroom, Reagan boasted a 3.96 cumulative GPA while majoring in Biology, finding herself on the Dean's List five times and the USA South All-Academic All-Conference Team on three occasions. This past fall, Reagan became the first Maryville athlete to be named a CoSIDA Academic All-American Division III National Team Member of the Year. In addition, she was one of just 126 student-athletes nationwide to earn a prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. Recently, Reagan received Maryville's top student-athlete accolade, the J.D. Davis Award, to go along with the A. Randolf Shields Award as the most outstanding senior in Biology. Some of Reagan's campus activities included volunteering for a community-based outreach program and with a special-needs individual while also serving as a member of the Maryville Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). Finally, Reagan plans to attend Trevecca Nazarene University to become a physician assistant.

What they are saying...

"Being named the USA South Woman of the Year is such an incredible honor, and I am extremely humbled. I am so incredibly thankful for all of the support that I have been given by my parents, coaches, teammates, professors, and friends and for the opportunity to complete my undergraduate and athletic careers at Maryville College. The memories and skills that I will take with me into my future are priceless and will never be taken for granted. There are many other people who had a large impact in my career at Maryville College, and I will be grateful to those individuals for the rest of my life. God bless and go Scots!" - Shannon Reagan

"We are extremely proud of Shannon for this and the numerous other honors she has received during her tenure at Maryville College. She has been a great example of what it means to be a balanced student-athlete, as she excelled both in the rigorous curriculum and on the soccer pitch as a Scot. Her tireless work ethic and relentless dedication is evident, making her a great choice for the USA South's NCAA Woman of the Year nominee. Maryville College enables students to study everything, so they are prepared for anything, and Shannon is a perfect illustration of that statement." - Kandis Schram, Maryville Athletic Director

"We are so proud of Shannon! She has excelled on the soccer field, in the classroom, and within the community at Maryville College. She has been an outstanding representative and example of the positive power of a student-athlete. Maryville and the USA South have been fortunate to have had such a special student-athlete. She is so deserving of this award!" - Pepe Fernandez, Maryville Head Men's & Women's Soccer Coach

 

Don Scalf Award: Alex Kachler - Methodist University

Kachler, like all spring student-athletes, had his final season on the Methodist baseball team cut short due to the COVID-19 outbreak. During his first three years on the diamond, Kachler was named All-American, All-Region and First Team All-Conference twice. He also was named the 2019 South Region Player of the Year. Recently, Kachler was announced as the Methodist Sykes Cup honoree, which is given to the Monarch student-athlete of the Year, as well as the Methodist Senior Athlete of the Year. He was also named Methodist's Scholar-Athlete of the Year as he compiled a perfect 3.93 cumulative GPA during his academic career. Kachler becomes the first Methodist student-athlete to earn those three accolades. Additional academic honors include being a 2020 First Team Academic All-American and a four-time USA South All-Academic Team member. Finally, Kachler served the Methodist community as a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, a new student orientation leader and a member of the Methodist Engineering Club.  

What they are saying...

"I am honored to have been selected for the Don Scalf Award. The USA South has had so many great student-athletes in its history and I am humbled to be mentioned amongst them. I wish all my teammates at Methodist and other USA South athletes safety during this time." - Alex Kachler

"Alex Kachler embodies everything it means to be a student-athlete at Methodist. He excels in the classroom, on the playing field and has had a positive impact on our campus. He competes with class and is a great representative of our baseball program and our university." - Dave Eavenson, Methodist Athletic Director

To view past Don Scalf and Rita Wiggs Award winners, click HERE.