Gibbs, Mommo Named Don Scalf Recipients

August 7, 2003 - Each year the USA South Athletic Conference presents its most prestigious awards by honoring one male and one female as the Student-Athletes of the Year. These athletes receive the Don Scalf Award. The 2003 winners are Christopher Newport runner Aimee Gibbs and Averett golfer Janne Mommo. 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. During his coaching career his teams won DIAC basketball and golf championships. He was a founding father of the DIAC in 1963 and served as its Secretary-Treasurer for 25 years.

Gibbs finished her junior year holding virtually every CNU distance record.  She has been the Conference cross country champion and First Team All-Conference all three years.  She is also the two-time reigning Mason-Dixon Conference champion.  She has qualified for the NCAA Championships all three years she has competed at the collegiate level.  Gibbs has been chosen as the CNU Cross Country team MVP all three years, as well as been honored with the Karen Humphrey Award for women's distance running for two straight years.  The biology major has succeeded in the classroom as well.  She has been named Verizon Academic All-American the past two years and Conference All-Academic the past three.  She has made the CNU Dean's List all three of her years there.  Gibbs was named to the Cross Country Coaches Association Academic All-American team in 2002. 

Mommo has won nine individual titles in his golf career at Averett and was named the Conference Rookie of the Year in 2000.  He is a three-time All-American selection.  He has been named First Team All-Conference twice and Second Team once.  In 2003 he won the NCAA Division III Championship as an individual, with a record setting score of 281 (75-65-69-72), while leading the Cougars to a team title.  It was the lowest four round total in the history of the NCAA Division III Championship.  His second round score of 65 is also the lowest single round score in an NCAA Division III Championship Tournament.  In addition to the national championship, Mommo also won the Pfeiffer Invitational and finished in the top-15 in each of his seven tournaments played this season.  In 2003 he was honored by the Averett Cougar Club as the Dr. Frank R. Campbell Male Sportsmanship Award winner.