23 Jul 2025 Harding’s Hawley named GAC Female Scholar Athlete of the Year
RUSSELLVILLE — On Wednesday, the Great American Conference honored Harding’s Sage Hawley as its 2024-25 Female Scholar Athlete of the Year. This prestigious award recognizes Hawley’s exceptional achievements both academically and athletically.
Hawley is now the fourth Lady Bison to receive the Female Scholar Athlete of the Year award, tying East Central for the most honorees in league history. She follows in the footsteps of former basketball standouts Kristen Celsor (2013-14) and Arielle Saunders (2014-15), as well as track & field All-American Anna Kay Clark, who won the award last year.
A graduate student, Hawley maintained an impressive 3.79 GPA in Information Systems. Her dedication in the classroom was recognized with her second College Sports Communicators Academic All-America honor in 2025.
On the court, Hawley led the Lady Bisons to their first GAC Championship since 2017, earning Tournament MVP honors for her outstanding performance. A two-time All-American, Hawley concluded her collegiate career as only the third player in NCAA Division II history to achieve at least 2,300 points and 1,300 rebounds.
The other nominees for the 2024-25 GAC Female Scholar Athlete of the Year award included:
- Kyann Woods (Softball), Arkansas-Monticello
- Mackenzie Epperson (Cross Country/Track & Field), Arkansas Tech
- Taylor Spence (Softball), East Central
- Bobbi Bazzle (Basketball), Henderson State
- Ashley Low (Volleyball, Softball, and Track & Field), Northwestern Oklahoma State
- Sophia Strange (Cross Country/Track & Field), Oklahoma Baptist
- Abbey Moore (Soccer), Ouachita Baptist
- Emma Berry (Track & Field), Southeastern Oklahoma State
- Marlee Bright (Basketball), Southern Arkansas
- Hannah Giddey (Basketball), Southern Nazarene
- Anna Bager (Soccer), Southwestern Oklahoma State
