Culler Earns NCAA Degree Completion Award.

MARS HILL, N.C. – Shelby Culler has been chosen as a recipient of the NCAA Degree Completion Award. The award is a $6,000 scholarship that will pay a portion of Culler's educational expenses next fall.

Head Softball Coach Monica Gordy stated, "Shelby has been an exemplary student-athlete during the course of her career at Mars Hill. She has worked hard both in the classroom as well as on the field. Shelby is most certainly deserving of this opportunity, and we are certainly proud of her hard work and all of her accomplishments."

Culler, a senior pitcher on the Lions' softball team. Is from Conway, S.C. She had a solid career for the Lions appearing in 79 games while starting in 50. Culler pitched 317.1 innings in her four-year career with an earned run average of 4.24. She also recorded 173 strikeouts that averaged 3.82 per game. Culler also tallied three saves in her career.

The award is for student-athletes who have exhausted their eligibility, but still have courses left to take before they graduate. Qualifications include:

• Applicant must be a student-athlete who has exhausted eligibility at an active NCAA Division II member institution within the past academic year. Applicant shall not be participating in another intercollegiate sport during the period of the award.
• Applicant must have received athletics-related financial aid from the NCAA Division II member institution.
• Applicant must be within 32 semester or 48 quarter hours of completion of his or her first undergraduate degree at the completion of the spring term.
• Minimum 2.5 GPA

Shelby will be returning in the fall to compete her degree in Integrated Education. She will also complete her English as a Second Language (ESL) course work.