RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – On Thursday, the Great American Conference named Henderson State’s Allie Bianchi as its 2023-24 Female Athlete of the Year.
Bianchi became the first Reddie honored as the league’s top female athlete and the second golfer dubbed Female Athlete of the Year. Arkansas Tech’s Rebecka Surtevall won in both 2013-14 and 2014-15. Bianchi previously won the league’s Scholar Athlete of the Year award in 2021, 2021-22 and 2022-23 to make her just the second GAC athlete to capture both of the conference’s individual superlative year-end accolades. The Reddies’ Kevin Rodgers won consecutive Athlete of the Year awards, 2012-13 and 2013-14, and added the Scholar Athlete award in 2013-14.
Bianchi led the Reddies to their fourth-straight conference championship. She became the women’s player to win both the Conference Player of the Year and the medalist honor at the GAC Championships. She eagled the final hole to win the individual title. She led the Reddies to their third-consecutive Central Region title and helped them advance to the match play portion of the NCAA Championships for the second-straight year. She garnered a spot on the WGCA All-America First Team.
Other nominees for the 2023-24 GAC Female Athlete of the Year award included Arkansas-Monticello’s Bailey Harris (Basketball), Arkansas Tech’s Ellen Spigner (Golf), East Central’s Emma Strickland (Volleyball), Harding’s Macy Ham (Softball), Northwestern Oklahoma State’a Faith Simpson (Basketball), Oklahoma Baptist’s Sophia Strange (Cross Country/Track & Field), Ouachita Baptist’s Michele Snow (Soccer), Southeastern Oklahoma State’s Macayla Needham (Track & Field), Southern Arkansas’ Sydney Ward (Softball), Southern Nazarene’s Abriel Thrash (Track & Field) and Southwestern Oklahoma State’s Megan Brown (Golf).