Gardner-Webb Athletics Hall of Fame
Excelling in multiple sports and in the classroom, Emily Harrelson Beachum made a lasting impression on the Gardner-Webb campus in the 1990s. She was a three-time NCAA Division II Academic All-America choice, earning that honor for cross country in 1996 and both cross country and softball in 1997. Beachum was named the 1997-98 South Atlantic Conference Presidential Award Winner and was the SAC First Union Scholar-Athlete of the Year that same season in softball. Both awards signify the South Atlantic Conference's most heralded scholar-athlete. On the field, Beachum earned second-team All-SAC honors in both 1996 and 1998, helping the Runnin' Bulldogs to a 30-14 mark and second-place finish in 1996. She was a big part of the team's 1997 South Atlantic Conference title. Beachum was even better on the cross country circuit, earning first-team All-SAC honors in that sport in 1996 and 1997. Unsurprisingly, she was also named SAC First Union Scholar-Athlete of the Year in cross country for the 1997 campaign. A business and physical education double major, Beachum graduated with a strong 3.78 grade point average. She also played one season with the Gardner-Webb basketball team, seeing action in 25 games as a freshman.
