VIDEO: Campbell Penland Interview
ROCK HILL, S.C. – Carson-Newman women's basketball senior guard Campbell Penland (Sevierville, Tenn.) has been named the South Atlantic Conference's Scholar Athlete of the Year, the league announced on Wednesday afternoon.
Penland becomes the fourth C-N women's basketball player to win the award, and the first since Kara Caldwell in 2001-2002. Staci Dunn was recognized with the honor the season before. The first scholar athlete from the Lady Eagles was Kori Linebarger in 1998-1999.
The South Atlantic Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year award is presented annually to one student-athlete in each of the Conference's championship sports and is voted on by the SAC's Faculty Athletic Representatives Committee. The winners are selected based on their achievements in academics, athletics, service, and leadership.
"It definitely feels good to be recognized for something that I have worked so hard for," Penland said. "Four years of college I have put a lot of effort into by basketball career and academics. It's really nice to be recognized, it's a great honor and I am very thankful."
The Sevierville, Tennessee native holds a perfect 4.0 grade point average while studying biology. Penland is a three-time member of the CSC Academic All-District team and is a three-time Carson-Newman's Dean's List member and platinum scholar. This is Penland's second high academic honor of the season. At the South Atlantic Women's Basketball tournament, she was presented with the Elite 23 award which honors the student-athlete with the top cumulative grade point average in each of the conference's 23 championship sports.
"Campbell is very deserving of this award," Carson-Newman head coach Mike Mincey said. "She is the true definition of a student-athlete. She always put in the proper time to be great at her basketball craft, but she always knew in time, basketball would come to an end and how she applied herself academically would be much more important. I've joked with her many times she's never missed a question. Her intelligence is not only evident in her class work but on the floor as well. It's been 20 plus years since we've had a women's basketball player take home this award and I'm happy Campbell was able to be recognized for her diligent work. She knew everything we were trying to get done on the basketball court and knew every set and deviation we might want to run against an opponent. Her basketball IQ is second to none."
The senior guard lands this honor in her senior season after averaging 11.4 points per game and drilling a career-best 72 three-pointers to lead the South Atlantic Conference. Penland made a career-best 37.7 percent of her three-point shots and 39 percent of her shots from the field.
Penland scored her career-high on February 3rd, 2024, at #14 Catawba. She made a career-high 12 field goals and a career-high seven three-pointers to finish with a career-high 32 points. Throughout her Lady Eagle career, she made three or more triples in 31 games and scored in double-figures 67 times. Her 1,387 career points finish tied for ninth-most in program history, while her 235 career three-pointers rank third all-time.
Off the hardwood, Penland is very involved in her community. Since becoming a student at Carson-Newman, she has helped serve on FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) and is currently the president, helping spread the Word of God to athletes on campus. She has also served as a Student Athlete Advisory Committee Representative. Part of Carson-Newman's research day, she was a participant in the annual Operation INASMUCH.
