Ricker Named SAC Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete

ROCK HILL, S.C. - Mars Hill junior Ansley Ricker has been named the 2013-2014 South Atlantic Conference Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The award recognizes excellence in academics, athletics, service and leadership. The SAC Faculty Athletic Representatives Committee selects the winner in each of the conference's 18 championship sports. 

Ricker is the third Mars Hill student-athlete in four years and fourth in school history to receive the SAC Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year award. She holds a perfect 4.0 GPA studying biology with a minor in chemistry.

Ricker's additional academic accolades include selections to the Mars Hill Dean's List, Alpha Chi Honor Society and SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll. She is also a college marshal and a founding member of the Beta Beta Beta National Biological Society, and has been selected for multiple academic research initiatives.

An All-SAC Second Team selection, Ricker ranked third in the conference in scoring this season, averaging 17.8 points per game. She was also the league's third-best three-point shooter, connecting on 35.4-percent of her attempts.

Ricker – a past SAC Student-Athlete Leadership Conference participant - is involved in multiple leadership roles on campus, representing her team on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and the Faculty Athletics Committee. She mentors incoming freshmen, serves as an on-campus tutor, and volunteers with Beacon of Hope, My Sister's Place and Big Brother's Animal Rescue Center.

Kristen Metcalf earned the prestigious award during the 2011-2012 season. Metcalf was the second straight Mars Hill SAC Scholar-Athlete as Brittini Young was the award winner for the 2010-2011 campaign.

Anderson senior Chandler Hash repeated as the SAC Men's Basketball Scholar-Athlete. Hash, is the fourth straight selection for an Anderson student-athlete, joining Nick Trull , who won the award in 2010-11 and 2011-12.

On the court, Hash was one of the SAC's top players this season, earning All-Conference and Daktronics All-Region First Team accolades while leading Anderson to the NCAA Tournament. The SAC Championship MVP led the conference and currently ranks fifth in the nation in scoring at 24.3 points per game, and his 778 total points mark the second-highest single-season total in league history.

Away from basketball, Hash serves with numerous organizations, including Hospice House and Discipleship-Now. He has also given time as an elementary school speaker, youth clinic volunteer, church clothing drive organizer and an Anderson freshmen orientation leader.