June 16, 2005
Methodist’s Gipson receives prestigious USA South Don Scalf Award

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – Each year, the USA South Athletic Conference released arguably its most prestigious awards with one male and one female with the Don Scalf Award, representing the Student Athletes of the Year for the USA South. The 2005 Don Scalf Award was released on Thursday, and Methodist soccer player Christina Gipson was the proud recipient of the women’s award.

During her tenure at Methodist, Gipson has been successful on the soccer field, in the classroom and in the community. 

She graduated Cum Laude this past spring with a 3.6 grade-point average in Athletic Training and Sports Management. The defender from Dayton, Ohio, was a four-time USA South Athletic Conference All-Academic selection and was twice nominated for ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American honors. She was named to the Dean’s List and President’s List four semesters each at Methodist and was also once selected to the National Chancellor’s List. 

Athletically, Gipson was a four-year starter for the Lady Monarchs’ women’s soccer team, where she was three-time All-Conference selection, including two times as a first-team selection, and a two-time All-Region selection. After her senior season she was named the Monarch’s Most Valuable Player by her teammates. During her Methodist career, Gipson led the Lady Monarchs to the USA South regular season championship in 2003 and Methodist never finished lower than second in all four of her seasons.

Gipson was actively involved at Methodist with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), serving as the President of Methodist’s SAAC and the USA South Athletic Conference SAAC.  She also represented the USA South on the national level as a member of the National SAAC Council. 

To be eligible for the Don Scalf Award, a student-athlete must be either a junior or senior, have participated in a USA South sport earning at least All-Conference recognition and have a minimum 3.00 GPA. The athletic directors vote for the award winner each spring at the conclusion of all Conference schedules.

This award is named in honor of Don Scalf, whose commitment to the student-athlete, guardianship of the value of academic achievement and devotion to the principles of Division III athletics set a standard that holds steadfast in the Conference today. He taught for 36 years and coached for 18 at N.C. Wesleyan. He also served as Athletic Director for six years, and was a founding father of the Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 1963. Scalf served as its Secretary-Treasurer for 25 years.