Tusculum's Winklemann and Mills Named South Atlantic Conference Tennis Scholar-Athletes of the Year
ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – Tusculum's Jonas Winkelmann was voted the South Atlantic Conference Men's Tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year, while the Pioneers' Erin Mills 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.
Winkelmann, a senior from Böblingen, Germany, graduated with a 3.70 GPA in business administration. He has earned Deans List, Athletic Director's Honor Roll and SAC Commissioner Honor Roll honors in each of his four years at Tusculum. He was also named to the Charles Oliver Gray Honors List all four years at TC to go along with earning CoSIDA Academic All-America honors during his junior season.
"Jonas is a very talented student and athlete that supports his talent through hard work in the classroom and on the court," said Tusculum head tennis coach Adam Jackson. "He is exactly the kind of student, athlete, and person we are trying to recruit and develop here at Tusculum. His achievements as a player and as a student are a testament to the amount of effort he puts into everything he does."
During the 2016 season, Winkelmann posted a 13-9 singles record, including a 8-3 mark in South Atlantic Conference play. His doubles tandem went 20-2 overall and 10-1 in South Atlantic Conference action.
Winkelmann has earned All-SAC honors in each of his four seasons as a Pioneer and was named the Astroturf South Atlantic Conference Player of Week three times in his career. A three-time ITA Scholar-Athlete, he was a key player for a team that 37-5 in the SAC during his time on the squad and earned two South Atlantic Conference team titles. He finished his career with a 60-22 record in singles play and a 74-11 record in doubles action.
In the community, Winkelmann has served as a volunteer at a local hospital and has spent time with Project "Tennis in Schools" to promote the sport of tennis at area elementary schools. Winkelmann also participated in Tusculum Tennis Adopt-a-Family initiative to help a local family during the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons. He has been a youth tennis clinic volunteer in his home country of Germany and has worked with the Greene County Ministerial Alliance Food Bank as a volunteer.
Winkelman has also stayed busy helping out on the Tusculum campus. He is a member of the TC President's Society and served on the Tusculum Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and attended the South Atlantic Conference Leadership Conference in Hickory, N.C.
Mills, a senior from Duluth, Ga., finished her years at Tusculum College with a 3.80 GPA and a degree in Economics/International Business. She has been named to the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll all four years at Tusculum and earned Charles Oliver Gray, Tusculum Athletic Director and Dean's List honors each year at TC. Mills was also tabbed an ITA Scholar-Athlete during her years as a Pioneer.
"Erin's successes both on and off the court are a direct reflection of her commitment to excellence in everything she does," Jackson stated. "She is truly a dedicated, hard-working, exceptional student-athlete, and this is a well-deserved honor. Erin embodies all the traits we are looking for in our student-athletes here at Tusculum."
Mills went 16-7 in singles during the 2016 season, including a 7-4 mark in South Atlantic Conference action. She finished 20-4 in doubles during the season, with a 10-1 mark in league play. For her career, Mills was 57-26 in singles and 65-16 in doubles for the Pioneers while helping the team to a 38-4 record in the SAC during her four years.
Mills was named the 2013 South Atlantic Conference Freshman of the Year and took home the South Atlantic Conference Women's Tennis Championship Most Valuable Player honor during the 2014 season. She earned All-Conference accolades three-straight years and was named the Astroturf Player of the Week four times in her career. She closed her career out on the court as a team captain this past season.
Mills is very active in the community as she has volunteered Greene County Humane Society and the Brain Rehabilitation Facility every year at Tusculum. She has also assisted with "Project Tennis in Schools" and the Greene County Ministerial Alliance Food Bank.
Mills has been a member of the Tusculum College Student-Athlete Advisory Committee all four years at Tusculum and taught a personal finance class as a junior and senior. An assisted living volunteer, she was very involved with the Tusculum Tennis Adopt a Family program.
Other Men's Tennis Nominees
Christoph Plasa, Brevard
Tom Sizeland, Coker
Fernando Espana, Newberry
Per Erik Soler, Queens
Connor Kudrick, Wingate
Other Women's Tennis Nominees
Nirvanna Silva, Brevard
Bailey Palmer, Coker
Tara Camers, Newberry
Marta Gonazlez, Queens
Caroline Holland, Wingate