Point Park's Kaitlyn Smith named Bill Melton Champion of Character Award female winner
FLORENCE, Ky. -- Point Park University junior women's basketball player Kaitlyn Smith has been selected as the female recipient of the 2016-17 River States Conference Bill Melton Champion of Character Award. The award annually identifies one male and one female student-athlete in the conference who is recognized for excellence in academics, athletics and the embodiment of the NAIA Champions of Character values.
Smith, a native of Darlington, Pa., is an excellent student with a 3.98 grade-point average majoring in business with a minor in accounting. She has emerged as a top student leader on the women's basketball team and also the entire campus. Already a junior academically, she has played in 50 games her first two years for the Pioneers averaging 6.7 points per game during that time.
The RSC's Bill Melton Champion of Character Award is modelled after the NAIA's Dr. Leroy Walker Award, of the of the most prestigious awards in the national association. It is named for former RSC (then called KIAC) Commissioner Bill Melton, and it promotes and recognizes the core values of the NAIA Champions of Character program: Respect, Responsbility, Integrity, Servant Leadership and Sportsmanship.
Nominated by their institution, candidates must be at least a junior with a 3.0+ GPA. Other considerations for the award are campus and community leadership, embracing the five core values and athletic achievement.
Smith has assumed the top role in Point Park's Student Activities, Involvement and Leadership (SAIL) area of campus. She is the Executive Director of Point Park's Campus Activites Board, where she oversees many events that are designed to enhance the experience of all students at the school through a variety of activities and programs.
"Kaitlyn Smith is a fantastic basketball player and an even better student who consistently get's straight A's," said Pioneers women's basketball coach Tony Grenek. "Furthermore, she represents the NAIA's Champions of Character trait of servant leadership as she was recently named the leader of our Campus Activities Board."
"Kait is the emobodiment of the Champions of Character values," said Bradley Kovalcik, Point Park's Director of Student Activities, Involvement and Leadership. "She has become one of the top student leaders at Point Park, and she has already made a huge impact on our campus the two years she has been here."
RIVER STATES CONFERENCE BILL MELTON CHAMPION OF CHARACTER AWARD WINNERS
2015-16 -- Sarah Bonar (Rio Grande), Women's Basketball
2016-17 -- Kaitlyn Smith (Point Park), Women's Basketball