The South Atlantic Conference Announces 2015-16 Men's & Women's Basketball Scholar-Athletes of the Year

March 17, 2016

ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – Newberry's Mitch Riggs was voted the South Atlantic Conference men's basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year, while Ansley Ricker from Mars Hill earned the women's honor, the League announced today. The pair earned the honor for their achievements in academics, athletics, service and leadership.

The South Atlantic Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year award is presented annually to one student-athlete in each of the Conference's championship sports, and is voted on by the SAC's Faculty Athletic Representatives Committee.

Riggs, a senior physical education major, carries a 3.74 GPA and has been named to the Newberry College Dean's List seven times in his career. He has earned South Atlantic Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll in each of his three years at Newberry, while also earning Division II Athletic Directors Association Academic Awards all three years at Newberry. The honor marks the second-straight year that Riggs has earned the prestigious South Atlantic Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year plaudit for men's basketball.

"Riggs is a first class young man who has consistently gone above and beyond what is asked of him on the court, in the classroom and in the community," said Newberry head men's basketball coach Dave Davis. "Mitch is a leader on our team and has made a huge impact in our community as well. His constant improvement in all areas of his life are a testament to the type of young man he is."

On the court, Riggs has averaged 20-plus minutes per game during his career. Riggs averaged 11.2 points per game during his freshman campaign and ranked third in the League in three-point field goals per game to earn South Atlantic Conference All-Freshman honors. After averaging eight points per outing during his sophomore season, Riggs put in 12.9 ppg during his season to rank in the top 20 in the League. He dished out 72 assists on the 2014-15 campaign to rank No. 8 in the SAC and finished the year with a 43 percent stroke from downtown. Riggs finished the 2015-16 season with 12.8 points per game and shot 45.1 percent from the floor. He averaged 24.4 points per 40 minutes to rank No. 7 in the South Atlantic Conference.

Riggs has volunteered countless hours in the Newberry community. He was member of the Big Brother Program at Gallman Elementary during the past three years as he visited the school one to two times per week to help students with special needs and those students struggling with academic classes. He also served as a volunteer to Lexington County elementary schools during his sophomore year to read to classes. Riggs helped coach a free youth basketball clinic at Newberry Elementary this past season and refereed Special Olympic basketball games during the winter. Riggs has also served as a mentor to students at Little Mountain Elementary school educating the students on the dangers of drug use.

He is a member of the Newberry College International Students Organization and volunteers his time at home in Australia at holiday basketball camps for local teams.

Ricker is a fifth year senior biology major and carries a GPA of 4.0. She has earned Dean's List honors all four years of her career at Mars Hill, earning SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll honors all four years as well. Ricker has served as a College Marshall every year while she has been at Mars Hill, including serving as the Chief Marshall the past two years. Ricker founded the Beta Beta Beta chapter at Mars Hill, the national biological honor society, and has been a member of the Alpha Chi National Honor Society since her sophomore year. The honor marks her second South Atlantic Conference Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award as she earned the prestigious honor during her junior year.

"Young women like Ansley are rare," said head Mars Hill head women's basketball Sarah Jansen. "Ansley is a student-athlete in every sense of the word. She is a fierce competitor, loyal teammate, role model and ambassador. Ansley understands that life is about more than just basketball or success she has in the classroom. It is about relationships and the ability to make any situation she comes across better. Mars Hill University and our women's basketball program is better because Ansley was here."

During her freshman season, she led the SAC in three-point field goal percentage and started over half of Mars Hill's games. She became a full-time starter in her sophomore season where she averaged 12.4 points per game to rank second on her squad. During her junior campaign, she earned second-team All-South Atlantic Conference honors as she finished second in the League with 18.1 points per outing. She also ranked No. 2 in the League in three-point field goal percentage and led her team in assists per game. An ACL injury sidelined her for the 2014-15 season. This past season saw Ricker average 15.7 points per game to rank No. 3 in the League and rank No.4 in the South Atlantic Conference with a 39.3 stroke from downtown to earn first-team All-South Atlantic Conference honors. The three-time team captain's play helped the Lions finish the season ranked No.4 in the League standings after being picked to finish No. 8 in the preseason.

In the classroom, Ricker has participated in research with the Mars Hill faculty in sampling and monitoring water quality in streams in the Appalachian Mountains. Her Quorum Sensing Review research paper won the Alpha Chi National Honors Society Gaston-Noelle Scholarship as she was tabbed CoSIDA Academic All-District this past season. Ricker also won the Quillion College of Medicine Internship Award during the summer of 2015.

Ricker has also found time to volunteer in the community as she has volunteered with Beacon of Hope, My Sister's Place, Big Brothers Animal Rescue and local elementary and high schools in each of her four years at Mars Hill. She is a volunteer for Mars Hill student support services as a tutor and supplemental teacher and has participated in mission work in Nyanga of Capetown, South Africa.

Other Men's Basketball Nominees

Sawyer Williams, Carson-Newman

Sean Preston, Coker

Keith Griffin, Wingate

Other Women's Basketball Nominees

Jennifer Monroe, Anderson

Madison Lenox, Brevard

Sydney Shull, Coker

Jordan Hiatt, Lenoir-Rhyne

Emily Perry, Newberry

Mckell Oliverio, Queens

Shynese Whitener, Tusculum

Shelby Tricoli, Wingate