University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Miller Hayden, Tess Peny Earn Big South Conference's Prestigious Christenberry Award
05.14.2026 | General, Men's Soccer, Women's Swimming & Diving
FULL BIG SOUTH CONFERENCE RELEASE
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Senior Miller Hayden of UNC Asheville Men's Soccer and senior Tess Peny of UNC Asheville Women's Swimming and Diving have both earned the Big South Conference's prestigious Christenberry Award, announced by the league today (Thursday, May 14).
Hayden becomes the first honoree in men's soccer program history, while Peny is the second honoree for the swim and dive program and the first since Adee Weller in 2020.
Hayden appeared in 11 matches making one start this season. He tallied one assist on the season at Wofford on Sept. 9 and also tallied one shot in that match. Hayden totaled 204 minutes on the pitch, including a season-high 37 minutes against California on Sept. 23. For his career, Hayden has appeared in 15 matches making one start. He has totaled 308 minutes on the pitch, with one goal and one assist for three points.
Miller has been on the Chancellor's list all four semesters and has earned a spot on the Big South Presidential Honor Roll and has been a Commissioner Award Honoree. He is also a member of the X-A-E College Athlete honor society.
Miller will be receiving his degree in interdisciplinary studies and pre-health while currently boasting a 4.0 grade point average.
"Miller was a fantastic example for our team of what determination, drive and excellence looks like on a daily basis," said head men's soccer coach Danny Frid. "It was a joy to see how he approached life and brought a feel of unity and strength with any interaction he had. Miller was a player that never left our staff wondering what we might get. It was consistently a player that was competing to the maximum of his ability and on the limit for training and for games. His aspirations and work ethic to attend med school, during the craziness of the fall season, will have a long-lasting impact on our staff, soccer players, and athletic administration as a whole. We are wishing Miller all the best in his next endeavors and excited to watch him continue to grow!"
Peny was a standout student-athlete whose contributions in the pool and classroom are complemented by the outstanding human she is. She was a member of SAAC and the head coach of Carolina Day School swim team while competing for the Bulldogs. Peny also worked remotely as a program coordinator and health & wellness media developer.
A versatile swimmer, Peny's career-best performances came at conference championships: 2:05.45 in the 200-yard butterfly- 2023 CCSA Championships, 2:07.78 in the 200-yard IM- 2024 ASUN Championships and 4:31.28 in the 400-yard IM- 2023 Conference Champs.
In the Asheville community, Peny spent time volunteering with blood drives, campus green fest, packing produce boxes for Bounty & Soul, passing out shoes with Samaritans' Feet Farm at local elementary schools and assisting with hurricane clean-up.
Peny has been accepted and will attend Shenandoah University to join the Master of Science in Nutrition & Dietetics Program.
"What an honor to have a member of the Swim & Dive team named a Christenberry Award winner!" said head coach Elizabeth Lykins. "Tess Peny is an outstanding student-athlete who deserves every accolade coming her way. Our staff is extremely proud of Tess and all of her accomplishments in the last four years at UNC Asheville."
About the Christenberry Award
The award is given to a graduating male and female student-athlete who attain the highest GPA during their undergraduate collegiate careers. Big South member institutions nominate one male and one female student-athlete for the annual Christenberry Award, or multiple student-athletes that tie for the highest GPA on their respective campus. The honor is named for George A. Christenberry, the former President of Augusta College (now Augusta 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.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Senior Miller Hayden of UNC Asheville Men's Soccer and senior Tess Peny of UNC Asheville Women's Swimming and Diving have both earned the Big South Conference's prestigious Christenberry Award, announced by the league today (Thursday, May 14).
Hayden becomes the first honoree in men's soccer program history, while Peny is the second honoree for the swim and dive program and the first since Adee Weller in 2020.
Hayden appeared in 11 matches making one start this season. He tallied one assist on the season at Wofford on Sept. 9 and also tallied one shot in that match. Hayden totaled 204 minutes on the pitch, including a season-high 37 minutes against California on Sept. 23. For his career, Hayden has appeared in 15 matches making one start. He has totaled 308 minutes on the pitch, with one goal and one assist for three points.
Miller has been on the Chancellor's list all four semesters and has earned a spot on the Big South Presidential Honor Roll and has been a Commissioner Award Honoree. He is also a member of the X-A-E College Athlete honor society.
Miller will be receiving his degree in interdisciplinary studies and pre-health while currently boasting a 4.0 grade point average.
"Miller was a fantastic example for our team of what determination, drive and excellence looks like on a daily basis," said head men's soccer coach Danny Frid. "It was a joy to see how he approached life and brought a feel of unity and strength with any interaction he had. Miller was a player that never left our staff wondering what we might get. It was consistently a player that was competing to the maximum of his ability and on the limit for training and for games. His aspirations and work ethic to attend med school, during the craziness of the fall season, will have a long-lasting impact on our staff, soccer players, and athletic administration as a whole. We are wishing Miller all the best in his next endeavors and excited to watch him continue to grow!"
Peny was a standout student-athlete whose contributions in the pool and classroom are complemented by the outstanding human she is. She was a member of SAAC and the head coach of Carolina Day School swim team while competing for the Bulldogs. Peny also worked remotely as a program coordinator and health & wellness media developer.
A versatile swimmer, Peny's career-best performances came at conference championships: 2:05.45 in the 200-yard butterfly- 2023 CCSA Championships, 2:07.78 in the 200-yard IM- 2024 ASUN Championships and 4:31.28 in the 400-yard IM- 2023 Conference Champs.
In the Asheville community, Peny spent time volunteering with blood drives, campus green fest, packing produce boxes for Bounty & Soul, passing out shoes with Samaritans' Feet Farm at local elementary schools and assisting with hurricane clean-up.
Peny has been accepted and will attend Shenandoah University to join the Master of Science in Nutrition & Dietetics Program.
"What an honor to have a member of the Swim & Dive team named a Christenberry Award winner!" said head coach Elizabeth Lykins. "Tess Peny is an outstanding student-athlete who deserves every accolade coming her way. Our staff is extremely proud of Tess and all of her accomplishments in the last four years at UNC Asheville."
About the Christenberry Award
The award is given to a graduating male and female student-athlete who attain the highest GPA during their undergraduate collegiate careers. Big South member institutions nominate one male and one female student-athlete for the annual Christenberry Award, or multiple student-athletes that tie for the highest GPA on their respective campus. The honor is named for George A. Christenberry, the former President of Augusta College (now Augusta 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.
Players Mentioned
D/M
/ Men's Soccer
Fly / IM
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