JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Bellarmine University junior Chase Atkins has deepened the history of his watershed cross country season.

On Wednesday, the Atlantic Sun Conference announced its postseason academic awards, with Atkins becoming the program's first-ever Knight to be named ASUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

In addition, Atkins and seniors Jackson Gawarecki and Nolan Hester all repeated as honorees on the seven-member Academic All-ASUN Team while junior Sierra Oesterling landed a spot on the women's team.

In the classroom, Atkins carries a 3.81 GPA while majoring in exercise science. On the course, the native of Hopkinsville, Kentucky, earned second-team All-ASUN accolades after placing a program-record ninth at the ASUN Championship. That performance came after he was the individual champion of the Angel Mounds Invitational and finished sixth in the prestigious Gold Race at the Live in Lou Classic. With his 23:59.3 at the conference meet, Atkins became the second harrier in program history to break 24:00 minutes in the 8k (after BU Athletics Hall of Famer Chris Striegel), and he now owns three of the program's all-time top 5 marks in that distance.

Gawarecki maintains a 3.93 GPA while majoring in data science. The Louisville native scored for Bellarmine at the ASUN Championship after placing 35th. Gawarecki ranks seventh on the program's 8k performance list and has secured two of the program's all-time top 50 marks in the 8k.

Hester posts a 3.98 GPA in biology. The Louisville native placed 13th at the Angel Mounds Invitational and a team-best 23rd at Notre Dame's National Catholic Invite. Hester is third on the program's 8k performance list while being responsible for three of the program's all-time top 8 marks in that distance.

Oesterling carries a 3.88 GPA while majoring in nursing. The native of Custer, South Dakota, made women's program history by becoming the first Knight to garner All-ASUN laurels after placing a program-record 20th at the ASUN Championship. Oesterling placed fifth in the Live in Lou Classic's Blue Race and 10th at the Angel Mounds Invitational. She ranks fourth on the program's 5k performance list and owns six of the program's all-time top 50 marks in that distance.

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