Tusculum's Padilla Honored as SAC Women's Golf Scholar-Athlete of the Year

ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – Tusculum's Reagan Padilla has been named the 2026 South Atlantic Conference Women's Golf Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the Conference office announced today.

A senior for the Pioneers, Padilla has established herself as one of the top student-athletes in Tusculum women's golf history through her accomplishments in the classroom, on the course and in the community. She owns a 3.76 cumulative GPA while majoring in sports science.

Padilla has earned numerous academic honors during her career, including SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll recognition, College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Women's At-Large Team accolades, Tusculum Athletic Director's Honor Roll distinction, Dean's List recognition and placement on the Charles Oliver Gray Honors List.

On the course, Padilla capped her collegiate career with another outstanding season in 2025-26, leading Tusculum with a 76.04 stroke average, the seventh-lowest single-season mark in program history. She finished runner-up at the King Invitational and placed fifth at the McAmis Memorial while earning CSC Academic All-District first team honors, WGCA All-America Scholar recognition and a D2ADA Academic Achievement Award.

Throughout her career, Padilla rewrote the Tusculum record book. She finished second in program history with a 76.3 career stroke average while recording 13 career top-five finishes, tied for the second-most in school history. She also posted 19 career top-10 finishes, 25 career top-20 performances and set the school record with 96 career rounds played.

Padilla established a then-school-record 75.4 stroke average during her sophomore season while winning medalist honors at both the King Invitational and Converse Invitational. She also earned back-to-back SAC All-Tournament Team honors with top-five finishes at the 2024 and 2025 SAC Championships and competed at the NCAA Division II South Region Championship.

Away from competition, Padilla has been active in community service and leadership opportunities, volunteering as an instructor at youth and high school golf camps, assisting with Tusculum golf camps, helping with storm cleanup efforts at Link Hills Country Club and serving on the Pioneer Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

The SAC Scholar-Athlete Award is presented annually to one student-athlete in each conference-sponsored sport and honors excellence in academics, athletics, leadership and community service.

2026 SAC Women's Golf Scholar-Athlete of the Year Finalists

• Dilyara Bulambayeva (LMU)
• Eve Neild (LRU)
• Haley Paramore (Wingate)
• Natalia Aguilar (Newberry)
• Reagan Padilla (Tusculum) - Winner