Mars Hill’s Stoehr, Prichard named SAC Scholar Athletes for Cross Country

ROCK HILL, SC - A pair of outstanding cross country runners who also excel in the classroom have been selected as the 2006 South Atlantic Conference Scholar Athletes for men's and women's cross country.

Mars Hill senior Jonathan Paul Stoehr, a three-time All-Conference first team runner, and Mars Hill senior Kate Prichard, also a three-time All-Conference runner, were selected as the 2006 recipients. Stoehr wins the award for the second year in a row. This is the ninth year a Mars Hill College men's runner has won the award, and the sixth year a Mars Hill women's runner has received the award.

Stoehr, from Antigo, Wisconsin, carries a 3.90 GPA as a sports management major. He was named to the All-Academic Team by the DII Cross Country and Track and Field Coaches Association for the past two years and was an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District selection in 2006. He is in the Honor Scholar program at Mars Hill and receives the Trustee Scholarship.

This year, Jon has won three races outright and is undefeated against conference and region competition, as well as recording the third-fastest time ever in SAC history this season. He finished second in last year's Food Lion SAC Championship race, behind former teammate Daniel Amick.

In the community, Stoehr is a role model for the DARE program and participated in Community Health Service Foundation projects and has been a volunteer track and cross country coach for Special Olympics. He serves as treasurer for the Student Government Association executive board as well as the Mars Hill College representative on the local Habitat for Humanity board of directors.

Prichard, a senior from Clemson, S.C., has a 3.95 GPA as a business administration and communications major with a minor in Spanish.

Along with being an All-Conference runner for three years, Prichard has also been named to the NCAA DII Southeast All-Region team three times. She was the SAC Women's Cross Country Freshman of the Year in 2003. During her career at Mars Hill, she has won five races.

Her academic excellence has earned her the honor of being named a College Marshall at Mars Hill and receives the prestigious Grayson Scholarship, Mars Hill's most rigorous academic award. She has been received All-Academic honors the past two years from the Cross Country Coaches Association.

In the community, Prichard has devoted her time to serving as a tutor in many areas, including helping to prepare high-risk high school students for college. She also volunteered at a Manna Food Bank, helped raise funds for Make-A-Wish and the Salvation Army's Angel Tree program.

The South Atlantic Conference Scholar Athlete Award is presented to one athlete from each of the conference's 14 sport programs and represents a combination of athletic skill, academic achievement and participation in community service and leadership.