TWO RECEIVE GUILFORD'S TOP ATHLETIC AWARD
Greensboro, NC (04/19/02) — Two of Guilford College’s top student-athletes received the 2002 Nereus C. English '26 Athletic Leadership Award at a banquet Thursday evening on Guilford’s campus. This year’s recipients are senior basketball player Erin Beacham (Atlanta, GA/Lovett School) and senior golfer Savio Nazareth (Orlando, FL/Phillips). The two raise the number of English Award recipients in 21 years to 145.
Named for one of the college’s most loyal alumni, the annual English Award is the school’s highest honor for athletic ability and leadership. Guilford first presented the prize in 1977 to students who reached the highest ideals of athletic accomplishment, leadership and academic achievement. Nereus C. English III made the presentations on behalf of the family at this year's banquet.
Beacham captained this year's women's basketball team to the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) championship and a second-round NCAA Tournament berth for the second straight year. She was named the ODAC Tournament's Most Outstanding Player and earned first-team All-ODAC honors with a team-leading 13.5 points per game average. The 5-6 guard was named to the D3hoops.com Second Team All-South Region squad and led the Quakers in assists (3.79) and three-pointers (26). She ranked second on the team with 6.0 rebounds per game.
Beacham, a four-year letter winner, is a two-time All-ODAC performer and completed her career ranked seventh in school history with 1,238 career points. She ranks second on Guilford's career free throws (370) and assists (393) lists. Beacham's totals in steals (192) and three-pointers (62) stand fourth in Guilford's history books. The daughter of Jerry and Debby Beacham, Erin is a psychology major and an African-American studies minor.
One of the country's top golfers, Nazareth is ranked 90th among all four-year college golfers (second in Division III) according to the April 17 Golfstat Cup Standings. Golfstat also has Nazareth leading all Division III golfers in total short game and in par-five scoring. His 72.38 stroke average this season is lower than his school-record 72.80 average of a year ago. Nazareth has helped Guilford to the top spot in Golfstat's April 17 Division III Head-to-Head Standings and a second-place ranking in April 18 Precept Division III Golf Coaches' Poll. His play aided Guilford in strong finishes against many Division I schools, including a second-place showing behind St. John's (NY) at the 2002 Treasure Coast/World Trade Center Heroes Classic and a third-place finish behind Duke at the Tom O’Briant Memorial. Nazareth has placed among the top-six finishers in 10 of 11 2001-02 tournaments.
Nazareth earned third-team All-American honors with an 18th place finish at last year's NCAA Championships where Guilford finished second to Wisconsin-Eau Claire by one stroke. He helped Guilford to the 2001 ODAC title and won the 2000-01 ODAC Player of the Year Award. The son of Sabena and Romeo Nazareth, Savio is a sport management major.
A native of Thomasville, NC, Nereus C. English graduated from Guilford in 1926, but maintained close contact with the college after graduation. His loyalty and genuine interest in its students led to the establishment of the English Endowment Fund and the Nereus C. and Mae Martin English Scholarship Fund in 1965. With his brother, the late T.R. English, he made possible the English Hall dormitory in 1957. In 1962, Nereus English received the Distinguished Alumni Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Guilford College Alumni Association.
- Angela Rioux '02
