Gardner-Webb’s Frye, Schmidtgen And Parandhamaia Receive Big South’s Prestigious Christenberry Award For Academic Excellence
May 18, 2022 | Swimming, Track & Field
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Big South Conference announced today that Gardner-Webb men's swimmer Jonathan Frye, women's track/cross country runner Faith Parandhamaia and women's track athlete Louise Schmidtgen have been awarded the Conference's prestigious George A. Christenberry Award for Academic Excellence. The award is given to the male and female student-athlete who attain the highest GPA during their undergraduate collegiate careers.
Frye, who majored in biology/biomedical sciences at Gardner-Webb, Parandhamaia, who majored in business management, as well as Schmidtgen, who majored in international business/computer science, all completed their respective undergraduate degrees with perfect cumulative GPA's of 4.0.
Frye (Columbia, S.C.) helped Gardner-Webb to first-place finish in the men's 200-yard medley relay and 400-yard medley relay at the 2022 CCSA Championships (breastroke leg). He also placed third in the 100-yard breaststroke (55.77) and fourth in 200-yard breaststroke (2:01.86) at the meet.
Parandhamaia (Accident, Md.) set personal bests this season in the 1,500m run (UNCC Invite - 4:59.48, 19th), 800m run (Winthrop Invite - 2:24.32, 9th), and the mile run (VMI Classic - 5:39.95, 22nd).
Schmidtgen (Ettlingen, Germany) earned points in the pole vault for GWU at the 2022 Big South Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a season-best height of 3.14m. She cleared at least 3.50 meters in the pole vault six times in her career, including a personal-record of 3.70m for fourth-place at the 2019 Conference Outdoor Championship. Schmidtgen won the pole vault twice in her career -- the 2021 Winthrop Spring Invitational (3.49m) and the 2019 Terrier Relays (3.50m).
Big South member institutions nominate one male and one female undergraduate student-athlete for the annual Christenberry Award. 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.
This year, the Big South had 11 honorees, the most in league history. It marks the sixth consecutive year that at least eight student-athletes have been recognized. Below are this year's recipients.
Frye, who majored in biology/biomedical sciences at Gardner-Webb, Parandhamaia, who majored in business management, as well as Schmidtgen, who majored in international business/computer science, all completed their respective undergraduate degrees with perfect cumulative GPA's of 4.0.
Frye (Columbia, S.C.) helped Gardner-Webb to first-place finish in the men's 200-yard medley relay and 400-yard medley relay at the 2022 CCSA Championships (breastroke leg). He also placed third in the 100-yard breaststroke (55.77) and fourth in 200-yard breaststroke (2:01.86) at the meet.
Parandhamaia (Accident, Md.) set personal bests this season in the 1,500m run (UNCC Invite - 4:59.48, 19th), 800m run (Winthrop Invite - 2:24.32, 9th), and the mile run (VMI Classic - 5:39.95, 22nd).
Schmidtgen (Ettlingen, Germany) earned points in the pole vault for GWU at the 2022 Big South Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a season-best height of 3.14m. She cleared at least 3.50 meters in the pole vault six times in her career, including a personal-record of 3.70m for fourth-place at the 2019 Conference Outdoor Championship. Schmidtgen won the pole vault twice in her career -- the 2021 Winthrop Spring Invitational (3.49m) and the 2019 Terrier Relays (3.50m).
Big South member institutions nominate one male and one female undergraduate student-athlete for the annual Christenberry Award. 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.
This year, the Big South had 11 honorees, the most in league history. It marks the sixth consecutive year that at least eight student-athletes have been recognized. Below are this year's recipients.
- UNC Asheville women's track/cross country runner India Appleton (4.00 in environmental science)
- Radford volleyball player Hailey Flowers (4.00 in criminal justice)
- Gardner-Webb men's swimmer Jonathan Frye (4.00 in biology/biomedical sciences)
- UNC Asheville women's soccer player Gillian Oyos (4.00 in health & wellness/psychology)
- Gardner-Webb women's track/cross country runner Faith Parandhamaia (4.00 in business management)
- Hampton women's soccer player Camille Pereira (4.00 in xxxxx)
- Charleston Southern baseball player Krishna Raj (4.00 in financial management)
- Gardner-Webb women's track athlete Louise Schmidtgen (4.00 in international business/computer science)
- UNC Asheville volleyball player Grace Volk (4.00 in chemistry)
- UNC Asheville women's soccer player Alice Walker (4.00 in business management)
- USC Upstate volleyball player Kelly Wiedemann (4.00 in exercise & sport science)
Players Mentioned
Breast/Free
/ Swimming
Distance
/ Track & Field
Pole Vault
/ Track & Field No videos available.
