LYNCHBURG, Va. – Gardner-Webb's Keaton Poole and Gabby Cortese have been named the 2017 Big South Conference Scholar-Athletes of the Year, as announced following the Big South Cross Country Championships earlier today.
 
Poole (Spindale, N.C. / Thomas Jefferson Classical Adademy) has been one of GWU's top men's performers throughout the season, setting new personal records in the 5K at the 2017 WCU Cross Country Festival on September 2 with a time of 16:08.01, and in the 8K at the Queen City Invitational on October 13 with a time of 26:26.37
 
Poole, a redshirt-junior, has a cumulative grade-point average of 4.0 and is majoring in Business Administration.
 
Cortese (Palm Bay, Fla. / Athens Christian School) has been the top finisher for the women's squad in each event in 2017.  At the WCU Cross Country Festival on September 2, she set a new Gardner-Webb record for a two-mile run, clocking in at 12:00.44.
 
Cortese, a senior, has an overall GPA of 4.0 and is majoring in Exercise Science.