Wingate's Brooks Named South Atlantic Conference Softball Scholar-Athlete of the Year

ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – Wingate's Savanna Brooks was voted the 2024 South Atlantic Conference Softball Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the Conference office announced today.

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. The winners are selected based on their achievements in academics, athletics, service, and leadership.

Brooks, a junior from Wingate, N.C., holds a 4.0 grade point average in exercise science. Brooks has twice been named to the Alpha Chi national honor society for being in the top 10 percent of her class and has also earned a spot on the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll each of her first two years. She has been on the Wingate University President's List in all seven of her semesters and was a Marshal for Wingate's December 2022 commencement exercises.   

On the field, Brooks has no shortage of accolades. She was named the 2024 SAC Softball Player of the Year and brook the school record for home runs in a season with 18. Despite being a junior, she also owns Wingate's all-time home run record with 44. Entering NCAA play, she was hitting .351 on the season and had 59 RBI. She was named First Team All-Conference and led the Bulldogs to a SAC Regular Season title and a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Off the field, she is currently the Wingate SAAC vice president and has spent each of the past three years as a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes leadership team at Wingate. She volunteered at Operation Christmas Child through Samaritan's Purse for three years and also volunteered at her church, working with newborns and teaching Bible Study class for children. She is the Wingate FCA Softball team huddle leader and has volunteered at the Wingate University Day of Caring and the One Day, One Dog Day of Service. She has also volunteered at Wingate Softball camps for three years.   

SAC Softball Scholar-Athlete Finalists

Savanna Brooks, Wingate

Emily Sappington, Tusculum

Katelyn Rackard, Lenoir-Rhyne

Kathryn Todd, Mars Hill

Macauley Bailey, Carson-Newman

Julie Hilliard, Coker