Mars Hill's Stanek Named South Atlantic Conference Softball Scholar-Athlete of the Year

ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – Mars Hill's Robyn Stanek was voted the South Atlantic Conference Softball Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the League announced today.  She earned the honor for her 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.

Stanek, a senior from Winston Salem, N.C., carries a 3.96 GPA as a Biology/PPS/Science Education major.  She has been named to the Dean's List every semester she has been at Mars Hill and has earned South Atlantic Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll honors in each of her years as a Lion.  Stanek earned Capital One Academic All-District honors as a freshman to go along with Alpha Chi National Honor Society plaudits as a junior and senior.  Stanek is a member of Beta Beta Beta, the Mars Hill biology honor society, while the faculty of Mars Hill University chose Stanek to give the student address at this year's commencement ceremonies.

"Robyn is a dedicated softball player and teammate," said Mars Hill head coach Monica Gordy.  "She always strives for perfection day in and day out, and will not give up until she is satisfied that her skills are the best they can possibly be and she has worked her absolute hardest and given her all."

During the 2015 season, she was named first-team All-South Atlantic Conference after posting a .324 average at the plate.  Stanek belted four homers during the 2015 season and drove in 12 runs.  She also topped the Mars Hill roster with 18 runs-scored.  Stanek finished the year with a .395 on-base percentage, a .535 slugging clip and did not commit an error in the field as she turned in a field percentage of 1.000.

The two-time Lion team captain has spent countless hours in the community volunteering.  She helped organize "Cancer Awareness Day" to help raise money for a local family with a mother who is fighting breast cancer.  She also spent time with the Community Housing Coalition as a volunteer.  Stanek spent three years as a volunteer softball coach for the Carolina Altitude during the summers and worked a softball kids clinic as an instructor during her junior season.

On campus, she served as chair of the Mars Hill Student-Athlete Advisory Council the past two years, while working as an athletic department tutor for Mars Hill's Student Support Supplemental Instruction Department.  A three-time officer for Beta Beta Beta, she volunteered as a first year mentor for MHU's freshman seminar course.  Stanek was also the student speaker at the Presidential Recognition Dinner this past year.