Furman University recognized several student-athletes for their academic and athletic achievements during the annual awards ceremony held at the Younts Conference Center, according to a May 7 announcement.
The event highlighted outstanding accomplishments among seniors from various sports. Tanner Schuck, a business administration major from Brentwood, Tennessee, was named co-recipient of the Dr. John Block Academic Award after earning a perfect 4.0 GPA over three years as an undergraduate. Schuck shared this honor with men’s basketball player Ben Vander Wal, who also maintained a 4.0 GPA and received the Dr. Gary Clark Student-Athlete Achievement Award.
Schuck played in 23 games and made 13 starts at the bandit position for Furman’s football team, recording 56 tackles including six and a half for loss and three sacks. He is noted as “the third consecutive football player — and sixth member of the sport since 2018 — to capture the award.” Vander Wal averaged 7.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game during his senior season while helping lead his team to a Southern Conference Tournament title and an NCAA Tournament appearance.
Other honorees included Grace Gibson (women’s lacrosse), Jayquan Smith (football), Alex Han (men’s tennis), Liz Moody (volleyball), Ansley Chiang (softball), and Jenna Mulhern (women’s cross country/track). Gibson and Smith were awarded the Bryce Stanfield Iron Paladin Award, which is presented “to high achievers in the weight room who exemplify an elite standard in work ethic, attitude, and accountability.” The award is named in honor of former Paladin Bryce Stanfield.
Alex Han and Liz Moody received Shining Knight Awards for their positivity, optimism, support of Furman Athletics, and selflessness toward others. Chiang and Mulhern earned Elizabeth Blackwell Academic Awards by achieving the highest GPAs among female student-athletes at Furman.
The ceremony underscored both academic excellence and leadership across multiple sports programs as students prepare to graduate or continue their collegiate careers.
