University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Natasha Lucki Earns Prestigious Christenberry Award - UNC Asheville Bulldogs Official Athletics Site
01.01.1970 | Men's Tennis
July 19, 2006
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Big South Conference today honored Coastal Carolina's Brittany Nelson (softball), UNC Asheville's Natasha Lucki (tennis), Winthrop's Erica Devine (soccer), Charleston Southern's Adam DeGraffenreid (football) and Liberty's Daniel Darnell (soccer) with the prestigious George A. Christenberry Award for Academic Excellence. The award is given to one male student-athlete and one female student-athlete who attain the highest GPA during their college careers and are graduates of a member institution during the past year (in case of ties, additional awards are provided). Nelson graduated with a 4.00 in management and marketing, Lucki graduated with a 4.00 in biology, Devine graduated with a 4.00 in physical education, DeGraffenreid graduated with a 4.00 in biology, and Darnell graduated with a 4.00 in business management.
The League honor is named for George A. Christenberry, the former President of Augusta College (now Augusta State University) and one of the founders of the Big South Conference. A member of the Big South Hall of Fame, Christenberry served as the League's first President from 1983-86. It is the second time in the last three years that five student-athletes have been so honored.
"The Christenberry Award is the most significant honor awarded to Big South student-athletes due to its emphasis on academic excellence," said Big South Conference Commissioner Kyle B. Kallander. "The performances of Brittany, Natasha, Erica, Adam and Daniel in the classroom and on the field are exemplary and reflect the highest ideals of the Big South."
Lucki, who graduated in December, was a three-year letterwinner for UNC Asheville's women's tennis team after transferring from Winthrop. She was named the 2004-05 UNC Asheville Female Athlete of the Year after maintaining a 4.00 GPA her entire academic career. Lucki was voted the Big South women's tennis Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2004 and was a three-time member of the Big South women's tennis All-Academic Team. A four-time member of the Big South Presidential Honor Roll, Lucki was UNC Asheville's No. 1 singles player for three years. Prior to her time with the Bulldogs, she was a member of the 2002 Big South Conference women's championship team at Winthrop.
Lucki becames the second UNC Asheville student-athlete to earn the award. Men's basketball player Ralf Melis was the first Bulldog to ever win the award following the 1995-96 season.
