Tusculum's Winkelmann, Newberry's Stokes Earn 2014-15 South Atlantic Conference Presidents Award

ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – Lukas Winkelmann from Tusculum College and Newberry’s Elayni Stokes have earned the 2014-15 South Atlantic Conference Presidents Award, the League announced today.  The Presidents Award is the highest individual honor presented annually by the South Atlantic Conference.

The SAC Presidents Award is voted on by the league’s Faculty Athletic Representatives and to be eligible, student-athletes must exemplify excellence in athletics, academics and community service. Further, to be nominated for this prestigious award, the individual must have been honored as the Scholar-Athlete of the Year during the year in one of the league’s 18 sponsored sports.

“Elayni and Lukas are true examples of student-athletes and exceptional role models,” said South Atlantic Conference Commissioner Patrick Britz. “Their excellence in all facets of academics, athletics and community service is exemplary and both are very deserving of this prestigious award - the highest honor any student-athlete can receive in our conference. The SAC has been very fortunate to have these wonderful individuals represent the conference and their institutions the past four years.”

Winkelmann graduated with a 3.96 GPA as a pre-medicine major to earn his third-straight Men’s Tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year honor.  He has been named to the Tusculum College President’s List every year of his career, while being named to the South Atlantic Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll in each of the past three seasons.  A two-time Capital One NCAA Division II Academic All-American selection, Winkelmann has picked up Charles Oliver Gray Honor List plaudits in each year of his career.

During the 2015 season, Winkelmann became the only player in South Atlantic Conference history to earn three-straight SAC Player of the Year honors.  Winkelmann finished the season ranked No. 19 nationally in Division II singles after posting a perfect 18-0 record and became the first player in program history to earn ITA All-America honors.  He ended his playing career on a 50-match regular-season winning streak and helped his squad rank as high as No. 43 in the nation.  Winkelmann also finished as the runner-up at the ITA NCAA Division II Southeast Region Fall Championships.

Winkelmann has earned All-SAC honors in each season as a Pioneer and got his career started by earning SAC Freshman of the Year honors during the 2011-12 season.  Winkelmann has been named Capital One Academic All-District three times in his career and was tabbed the Tusculum College Male Athlete of the Year on three occasions to become the first student-athlete in TC history to win the award three times.  He won the South German Amateur Championship as a junior and was named the Tusculum College Men’s Tennis Most Valuable Player every year he has stepped on the court for the Pioneers.

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 assisted in caring for a local community member’s horse after they were in a car accident during his sophomore season and has helped with the Tusculum Tennis Adopt-a-Family initiative to help a local family during the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons.  A member of the Alpha Chi Honor Society, Winkelmann donated and delivered Christmas presents to children in the community.  

Winkelmann has also stayed busy helping out on the Tusculum campus.  He served as a volunteer with the Tusculum College Haunted House as a freshman to help the TC athletic department raise money.  He has also spent time helping the Tusculum athletic department during SAC Championship events that the college has hosted.  During his senior year, Winkelmann volunteered with the Remote Area Medical Clinic hosted by Tusculum College as a dental assistant and was a member of the Biology Club and the President’s Society.  Winkelmann also served as treasurer of the Alpha Chi Honor Society during his junior and senior years.

Winkelmann has been accepted to the Pennsylvania School of Medicine to continue his pursuit of becoming a dentist.

Stokes finished her college career with a 3.97 GPA in mathematics education and was named a Capital One/CoSIDA Third Team Academic All-America.  She has been named to the Newberry College Dean's List, South Atlantic Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll and Division II Athletic Directors Association Academic Achievement Award at every opportunity. 

Stokes currently holds the Newberry record for career digs with 2,061.  She set the Wolves’ single-season record with 595 digs during the 2012 campaign and bettered her mark with 606 digs during the 2013 season.  She led the South Atlantic Conference with 598 digs and 5.03 this past season, while earning Newberry Invitational All-Tournament honors as she amassed 88 digs in the four-game span.

In the community, Stokes spent time at local elementary schools tutoring students in various subjects.  She also volunteered with the Living Hope After-School Program in Newberry.  She was a volunteer for the University Baptist Church Children’s Ministry where she assisted with supervising and teaching youth camps.  Stokes tutored an 18-year old girl in english and mathematics to aid her progress toward obtaining her GED.  In her hometown of Houston, Texas, Stokes served as an assistant coach at Clear Lake High School volleyball camps.

She was also very active on the Newberry campus as she served as the Vice President for the Newberry Chapter of Society of Undergraduate Mathematicians and the Secretary for the Blue Key Honor Society.  Stokes was a member of the Sigma Tau Delta English Honors Society as well as the Summerland Honors Program.  She also served as a student worker for the Newberry College Department of Education.

Other Men’s Nominations
J.D. Chaplain, Brevard
William Alderman, Carson-Newman
Dylan Marks, Coker
Alex Mullen, Mars Hill
Mitch Riggs, Newberry