SUWANEE, Ga. -- The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference announced today the six finalists for the 2023 SCAC Man of the Year award. The award recognizes the conference’s senior male student-athlete who has best distinguished himself throughout his collegiate career in the areas of academic achievement, athletic excellence and service and leadership. Past Winners
Member schools were permitted to submit two nominations if at least one of the nominees was a man of color or international student-athlete.
This year’s finalist include: Tate Nelson of Austin College, Jaron Petreas of Centenary College, Kevin Peterson of Colorado College, Christian Rodriguez of Southwestern University, Luis Green of Texas Lutheran University and AJ Clark of Trinity University.
To be nominated, student-athletes must have completed intercollegiate eligibility in his primary sport by the end of the 2023 spring season, received his undergraduate degree prior to the conclusion of the summer 2023 term and had a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.500 (4.000 scale) with the noted exception due to COVID-19 pandemic. A student-athlete who received an extension waiver or a season of competition/participation waiver in his primary sport due to cancellation of a 2020 and/or 2021 athletics season or championship may be nominated for the 2023 Man of the Year, provided he otherwise satisfies nomination criteria.
The 2023 Southern Collegiate Athletic Man of the Year will be announced on July 13th.
Scroll below to read a quick bio on each of the six finalists:
Tate Nelson, Austin College
Men's Tennis
- Mathematics major with a 3.98 GPA
- Four-Time SCAC Academic Honor Roll Honoree (2020-23)
- Austin College Dean’s List (2019-23)
- Four-Time College Sports Communicators Academic All-District (2020-23)
- Two-Time SCAC All-Sportsmanship Honoree (2022-23)
- Two-Time Carroll Picket Award Winner - Team MVP (2022-23)
- Team Captain (2023)
- Bo Miller Award Winner (2023)
- Sig Lawson Award Winner (2023)
- Phi Beta Kappa Inductee
- Chi Alpha Sigma Inductee
- Eagle Scout (2019-23)
- 'Roo Boo (2022)
- Operation Christmas (2022)
- Fire Hydrant Restoration Project (2019-23)
- Lovepacs Volunteer (2015-20)
- Friends of the Colony (2015-19)
- Metro Relief (2015-19)
- Lost Paws (2015-19)
- Adopt-a-Street (2015-19)
- Closet Ministry (2015-19)
- Scouting for Food (2015-19)
- TC Senior Citizens Center (2017-18)
Jaron Petreas, Centenary College
Men's Soccer
- Economics major with a 4.00 GPA
- Four-Time SCAC Academic Honor Roll Honoree (2019-22)
- Centenary College Dean's List (2019-2023)
- Two-Time SCAC Men's Soccer Elite 19 Award Winner (2020, 2022)
- College Sports Communicators Academic All-American (2022)
- College Sports Communicators Academic All-District (2022)
- Three-Time All-SCAC Honoree (2020-22)
- 2020-21 SCAC Men's Soccer Team Champion
- All-Tournament Team Selection (2020-21)
- SCAC Offensive Player-of-the-Week (2021)
- Team Captain (2021-23)
- SCAC Character & Community Award Winner (2023)
- Centenary Student-Faculty Research Award Winner (2022)
- Centenary Economics Department Outstanding Student (2022)
- Clark, Conrad, Dismuke and Dubose Scholarship Awardee
- Cain Family Scholarship Winner
- Harry J. Breithaupt, Jr. Scholarship Award Winner
- Centenary Economic Policy Committee Student Representative (2020-21)
- Centenary Itercollegiate Athletic Committee Student Representative (2020-21)
- Kappa Alpha Order Officer (2019-22)
- Louisiana Advocates for Immigrants in Detention (2021-23)
- MLK Service Day Leader (2020-21)
- Muscular Dystrophy Association Fundraising Leader (2019-20)
- MLK Service Day Leader (2020-21)
Kevin Peterson, Colorado College
Men's Soccer
- Economics major with a 3.88 GPA
- Four-Time SCAC Academic Honor Roll Honoree (2019-22)
- Colorado College Dean's List (2019-23)
- College Sports Communicators Academic All-District (2022)
- Two Time All-SCAC (2021-22)
- Team Captain (2022-23)
- Two-Time Colorado College Midfielder of the Year (2021-22)
- Colorado College Goal of the Year (2022)
- Jerry Carle Award - Strength & Conditioning (2022-23)
- Colorado College Men's Soccer SAAC Representative (2021-23)
- Economics Professor Research Assistant, BLM Protests Data Analyst (2020)
- Concrete Couch (COS Community) (2021-23)
- NSO Priddy Trip Leader (2021-23)
- Parents Night Out (2020)
- Meal Prep & Distribution to COS Homeless Community (2021)
- Knob Hill Urban Arts District Mural Revitalize Project (2020-21)
Christian Rodriguez, Southwestern University
Men's Golf
- Business major with a 2.91 GPA
- SCAC Academic Honor Roll Honoree (2022)
- Two-Time GCAA All-American (2022, 2023)
- Two-Time NCAA Individual Qualifier (2022, 2023)
- Two-Time GCAA All-Region (2022, 2023)
- All-SCAC First Team (2022)
- SCAC Champion, Individual Medlaist (2022)
- SCAC Team Champion (2022)
- All-SCAC Honorable Mention (2023)
- Individual Medalist, San Antonio Shootout (2023)
- Individual Medalist, West Region Invitational (2022)
- Four-Time SCAC Golfer-of-the-Week (2020-23)
Luis Green, Texas Lutheran University
Men's Soccer/Track&Field
- Finance major with a 3.55 GPA
- Five-Time SCAC Academic Honor Roll Honoree (2019-23)
- Three-Time College Sports Communicators Academic All-American (2020-21, 2022, 2023)
- Four-Time College Sports Communicators Academic All-District (2019-23)
- Five-Time SCAC Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Year (2018-22)
- Five-Time First Team All-SCAC (2018-22)
- TLU Scholar-Athlete of the Year (2022-23)
- Three-Time United Soccer Coaches All-American (2018, 2019, 2022)
- SCAC Men's Soccer Team Champions (2019)
- SCAC Men's Soccer All-Time Leader in Goals Scored
- SCAC Men's Soccer All-Time Leader in Points
- Three-Time SCAC All-Tournament Team Honoree (2018, 2019, 2020-21)
- Nine-Time SCAC Men's Soccer Offensive Player-of-the-Week (2018-23)
- Team Captain (2018-23)
- SCAC Champion 800-Meters (2023)
- TLU Athlete of the Year Award (2020-21)
- Texas Investment Portfolio Symposium Champion (2020)
- Bulldog Investment Company Captain and Leadership Team Member (2018-23)
- Big Dog Endowment Student Board Member (2018-23)
- Rodriquez Elementary Tutor (2018, 2019, 2022)
- My Father's Farm - Day of the Dog Volunteer (2018, 2019)
- Habitat for Humanity (2018)
AJ Clark, Trinity University
Men's Basketball
- Business Analytics & Technology major; Communication Management and Sport Managment minor with a 3.91 GPA
- Four-Time SCAC Academic Honor Roll Honoree (2020-23)
- Six-Time Trinity University Dean's List (2019-23)
- Three-Time SCAC Men's Basketball Elite 19 Award Winner (2021-23)
- NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Awardee (2023)
- Two-Time National Basketball Coaches (NABC) Honor Court (2020-21, 2021-22)
- Three-Time College Sports Communicators Academic All-District (2020-21 - 2022-23)
- Team Captain (2019-23)
- SCAC Men's Basketball Defensive Player-of-the-Year (2022-23)
- All-SCAC First Team (2022-23)
- All-SCAC Second Team (2021-22)
- All-SCAC Third Team (2020-21)
- SCAC Regular Season Champions (2020-21)
- NCAA Tournament Team Qualifier (2020-21)
- Second Team All-Region (2022-23)
- Three-Time SCAC All-Tournament Team (2020-21 - 2022-23)
- Two-Time National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA) All-American (2021-22, 2022-23)
- Two-Time SCAC Player-of-the-Week Honoree (2022, 2023)
- Texas Business Hall of Fame Inductee and Scholarship Recipient
- Student Inclusivity Officer (2022-23)
- Bell Center Facility Manager Supervisor (2019-2023)
- Chariots of Fire - Hughes and Kyle Unit Prison Volunteer (2018, 2019, 2022, 2023)
- USA Olympic and FIBA 3x3 Practice Player (2021, 2022, 2023)
- Haven for Hope Food Bank Volunteer (2023)
- Habitat for Humanity (2018)
