VIDEO: Full Eagle Scholars Ceremony Broadcast

VIDEO: David Needs Interview 

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn - Carson-Newman's women's track team brought home the Director's Cup at the ninth annual Eagle Scholars Ceremony Tuesday evening at Holt Fieldhouse.

"We have a lot of young ladies who do really well and work hard in hard majors," Director of Track and Field David Needs said. "How they have set themselves up as students is a credit to what's inside of them and their willingness to work hard." 

The Director's Cup is presented to the top academic team on campus which best represents the values espoused by the Eagle Scholar Program as selected by the Eagle Scholar Committee.  Previous winners include women's basketball (2015), baseball (2016), softball (2017), swimming (2018), volleyball (2019) and women's soccer (2020).  

A whopping 305 Carson-Newman student-athletes were lauded with Eagle Scholar status. 

The 305 honorees represents a growth of 25.5 percent from the previous year's record-class of 243.  It marks a ninth consecutive year of growth since the program began in 2013 with 72 being recognized.  

"We had 305 Eagle Scholars for the 2020-2021 year, which is the most we have ever had," Director of Student Success Amy Humphrey said. "We are continually amazed at all our student-athletes are able to accomplish, both on the field and in the classroom.  The number of Eagle Scholars has increased every year, and we are thrilled that it has become such a source of pride for our student-athletes." 

The Director's Cup will also be presented during the Eagle Scholars Ceremony.  

The Eagle Scholars Program recognizes academic achievements among Carson-Newman student-athletes. To become an Eagle Scholar, student-athletes must have a GPA of 3.25 or higher. Eagle Scholars receive a patch to wear on their uniforms during regular season competition.  This year also marks the third year that the program also includes the introduction of the Gold Scholars. These honorees will receive a golden patch to wear on their uniforms for maintaining a GPA higher than 3.75. There are 72 such gold scholars in this year's program and 40 Platinum Scholars, which recognizes students with perfect 4.0s. 

Carson-Newman is the only school in the South Atlantic Conference to offer such a program.

It was the teamwork of Gloria Walker and Amy Humphrey, then members of the University's Student Success Center that helped to bring the program together in 2013.

2013 - 72

2014 - 93

2015 - 128

2016 - 160

2017 - 177

2018 - 213

2019 - 220

2020 - 243

2021 - 305