September 12, 2025

Browder goes back-to-back as D2CCA Regional Scholar Athlete of the Year

ROCK HILL, S.C. – For a second consecutive year, Carson-Newman forward Jack Browder (Kingsport, Tenn.) has been named the D2CCA Regional Scholar Athlete of the Year, the organization announced in early September.

ROCK HILL, S.C. – For a second consecutive year, Carson-Newman forward Jack Browder (Kingsport, Tenn.) has been named the D2CCA Regional Scholar Athlete of the Year, the organization announced in early September.

Browder repeats as the winner of the award, just as he did in repeating as the SAC's President's Award winner.

The highest individual honor presented annually by the South Atlantic Conference, the President's Award is voted on by the league's Faculty Athletic Representatives and to be eligible, student-athletes must exemplify excellence in athletics, academics and community service. Further, to be nominated for this prestigious award, the individual must have been honored as the Scholar-Athlete of the Year during the year in one of the league's 20 sponsored sports.

Browder adds the laurel to an already well-stocked trophy case. He was named the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America Team Member of the Year For NCAA Division II in April.

Browder earns Academic All-America First Team honors for a second straight year to go along with his spot at the head of the table on the team.

Browder is the first Carson-Newman student-athlete in any sport to win the award. He is 12th player in league history to win the award.

The junior follows Anderson's Nick Trull (2011-12) as the only men's basketball players to hoist this hardware. He is just the third man in the league's history to win the honor, joining Trull and Tusculum baseball's Taylor Rakes (2012-13).

With a 4.0 GPA, Browder became the eighth SAC Scholar Athlete of the Year from C-N men's basketball and the league's 10th repeat winner. He joined Colin Martin as repeat winners from C-N. Carson-Newman's eight scholar athlete honorees are the most in league history. Mars Hill and Newberry have both had five players recognized.

"I'm so pleased for Jack," head coach Chuck Benson said. "He is truly committed to excellence on the court, in the classroom and in the community. I'm so happy for him, our program and our institution. He represents us so well with his Christian character and willingness to serve those around him."

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.

"Growing up, my mom really instilled in me the importance of education," Browder said. "I've continued to carry that over through college and always try my best both in the classroom and on the basketball court."

The Kingsport, Tennessee native holds a perfect 4.0 grade point average while studying business administration. Browder has collected a variety of academic accolades over his three seasons with the Eagles. He is a three-time Carson-Newman Dean's List Member, a three-time Platinum Eagle Scholar, a three-time Hope Scholar, a three-time Presidential Scholar and a two-time CSC Academic All-District team member. Last year he earned first team Academic All-America honors and was selected as Carson-Newman's first male recipient of the SAC's President's Award as well as the D2CCA Regional Scholar Athlete of the Year. He was recognized this season at the SAC men's basketball championships in Rock Hill as the Elite 23 winner, as the student athlete competing at the finals site with the highest GPA.

Browder led C-N with 19.7 points per game. He also averaged a team-best 8.8 rebounds per game. He has produced 30 double-digit scoring efforts this season, including 15, 20-point efforts. He led the conference with 14 double-double games this season, and was the only player in the league in the top four in scoring and rebounding.

A four-time SAC Player of the Week honoree, Browder was named NABC National Player of the Week on Dec. 10.

The junior turned in back-to-back 30-point games, and is the first Eagle this century to score 30 points in three straight games.

He has scored 99 points in a three-game stretch – the fifth time this century a player has scored more than 90 in a three-game span for C-N. Browder's 99 are second only to Charles Clark's 110 during the stretch where he had his 54-point triple-double and earned his second national player of the week award.

For the week, Browder averaged 33 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks per game. He made 75 percent of his shots, 88.9 percent of his threes and all 16 of his free throws.

He started his week with a career-night in an 87-81 loss to UVA Wise. He scored 36 points and grabbed 16 boards – both career days. The 16 rebounds are the tied for the seventh-most in school history and the third-most in the NCAA Division II era.

Each of the winners advanced to the national ballot for consideration for the 2024-25 Men's Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Women's Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Conference offices were permitted to submit one male and one female nominee for the overall awards. Upon receipt of all nominees, voting was conducted by the commissioners within each of the following regions – Atlantic, Central, East, Midwest, South, Southeast, South Central and West – to select the following regional winners.

Men's Regional Winners

Name	School	Conference	Sport	Major	GPA
Jack Browder	Carson-Newman	SAC	Basketball	Business Administration	4.00
Cedric Buessing	Indianapolis	GLVC	Swimming & Diving	Business Administration and Management	3.88
Jake Dugger	Harding	GAC	Football	Information Systems	3.72
Brayden Long	Slippery Rock	PSAC	Football	Sport Management	4.00
Brevin McCool	Lubbock Christian	LSC	Baseball	Biology	4.00
Tommy Murr	Alabama Huntsville	GSC	Basketball	Business Management	3.67
Laurenz Waldbauer	Northwest Nazarene	GNAC	Track & Field	Global Business	4.00
Sean Welsh	Molloy	ECC	Baseball	Finance	3.91

Women's Regional Winners

Name	School	Conference	Sport	Major	GPA
Katie (Wagner) DeGarmo	Fort Hays State	MIAA	Basketball	Business Administration	4.00
Grace Foster	Lubbock Christian	LSC	Basketball	Criminal Justice	4.00
Anna Igims	Slippery Rock	PSAC	Cross Country/Track & Field	School Wellness Education	3.98
Brynn King	Roberts Wesleyan	ECC	Track & Field	Strategic Leadership	3.90
Mary Kelly Mulcahy	Findlay	GMAC	Golf	Business Administration	4.00
Madison Murr	Cal State San Marcos	CCAA	Golf	Environmental Studies	3.96
Ashleigh Simes	Lee	GSC	Tennis	Business Administration	3.62
Avery Williams	Columbus State	PBC	Soccer	Biology	4.00