UNCP’s Dammann, AASU’s Heath Named PBC Scholar-Athletes of the Year

HILTON HEAD, SC -- UNC Pembroke women’s golfer Katja Dammann and Armstrong Atlantic State baseball player Josh Heath were named the Peach Belt Conference 2010-11 Scholar-Athletes of the Year at the league’s annual meetings in Hilton Head.  Dammann and Heath were chosen by the conference’s Faculty Athletics Representatives, who looked at information on each candidate and based their vote on 50% academic accomplishment, 30% athletic achievement and 20% leadership qualities. The scholar-athlete award is the highest individual award presented by the Peach Belt.

Dammann graduated at the top of her class in early May with a 4.00 GPA and a degree in business.  A native of Schwerin, Germany, she has been named to the PBC women’s golf All-Academic team twice, the Presidential Honor Roll three times and a Capitol One Academic All-District selection in 2011.  Dammann was placed on the UNCP Chancellor’s List every semester she was at the school and was awarded the outstanding graduating senior award in the school of business for the Management, Marketing and International Business department.  She has also been nominated for Who’s Who Among American Universities and Colleges in both her junior and senior years.

On the course, Dammann was equally successful, winning the Individual Medalist at the 2011 PBC Championships.  She was named first-team All-Conference in 2010 and 2011.  She had two tournament wins this past season and her 77.0 stroke average was the third-best in the conference.  She had six top-five finishes for the nationally-ranked Lady Braves and finishes her career with four tournament wins.  A team captain, her efforts helped UNCP to win the 2011 PBC Championship and reach the NCAA regional tournament.  Next for Dammann is the pursuit of a professional golf career.  She becomes the fourth UNCP female student-athlete to be named the conference’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Josh Heath graduated from Armstrong Atlantic State this May with a degree in biology with a 3.91 GPA.  From Locust Grove, Ga., he was honored with the Leslie B. Davenport award, given to the most outstanding biology major.  A three-time Capitol One Academic All-District selection, Heath was named to the PBC All-Academic team three times and the PBC Presidential Honor Roll four times.  He was also named to the AASU Dean’s List in the spring of 2011 and recognized by the school as the top overall model student and recognized by the legislature of the State of Georgia.

On the field, Heath appeared in 50 of the Pirates’ 52 games with 47 starts in the outfield.  He hit .242 with seven doubles and 16 RBIs and 31 runs scored.  He drew 34 walks to tie for the team lead and had a .382 on-base percentage.  He collected 14 sacrifice bunts, second-most on the team, and made only one error in the outfield in 72 chances, a .986 fielding percentage.  Heath becomes only the second Armstrong student-athlete to win the Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, joining Sundar Raman who was honored in 1995.