Furman's Ryu, Schubert Named 2024-25 SoCon Athletes of the Year

Previous SoCon Female Athlete of the Year Winners | Previous SoCon Male Athlete of the Year Winners

SPARTANBURG, S.C. –Furman golfer Audrey Ryu was named 2024-25 Southern Conference Female Athlete of the Year, and Paladin runner Dylan Schubert was named Bob Waters Southern Conference Male Athlete of the Year, the conference announced on Wednesday.

The Athlete of the Year Awards are selected annually by the Southern Conference athletics directors and one media member representing each conference school.

The award recognizes athletic achievement, academic performance, and civic involvement. Before the 1990-91 season, the award was selected exclusively by members of the Southern Conference Sports Media Association. Beginning in 1991-92, the men’s award was named after the late Bob Waters, who served as Western Carolina University’s head football coach from 1969-88 and led the Catamounts to the Division I-AA National Championship Game in 1983.

This year’s Furman sweep is only the fifth in the history of the awards, but is the third sweep for the Paladins since 2021. Paladin golfer Anna Morgan, who won the Female Athlete of the Year three times, was joined by Cameron Ponder in 2021-22 and Jalen Slawson in 2022-23 to complete recent sweeps.

ETSU’s Mister Jennings and Nicole Hopson swept the awards in 1990-91, and Mercer followed in 2017-18 with Will Bagrou and Kahlia Lawrence.

Ryu is Furman’s sixth-straight SoCon Female Athlete of the Year. Her selection marks the 13th overall for the Paladins, and sixth for the Furman women’s golf program. Furman’s Caroline Peek became the first women’s golfer to win the award in 1992-93.

The Dublin, Ohio, sophomore was exceptional in her second season on the collegiate links, winning the 2025 SoCon Championship at Solina Golf Club in West Columbia, S.C. She sizzled in the opening round, firing a tournament and course record score of 66. Ryu continued her strong play in the NCAA Norman Regional, carding rounds of 72, 70, and 71 to finish seventh and punch her ticket to the NCAA National Championship. Ryu made the cut at nationals and finished in a tie for 47th.

Ryu’s efforts also led Furman to the 2025 SoCon Championship as a team. During the regular season, she was named SoCon Golfer of the Week four times and led the conference with a 72.60 stroke average through 35 rounds – earning All-Conference honors in the process. Ryu finished the season with five individual top 10 finishes.

Off the course, Ryu’s talents and results are just as impressive. She is a concert pianist and carries a 4.00 cumulative GPA as a biology major, which helped her earn the 2025 SoCon Pinnacle Award at the women’s golf championship. In addition to WGCA All-America Scholar, SoCon Academic All-Conference, and the Furman Dean’s List, Ryu was honored as the sophomore recipient of the Winston Babb Memorial Award, given annually by Furman’s chapter of Omnicron Delta Kappa to the student in each class who demonstrates the most outstanding qualities of leadership, scholarship, and service to the University through academics and research, communications, or athletics.

Ryu garnered 67 points in this year’s voting for SoCon Female Athlete of the Year, followed by Mercer’s Skye Ekes (volleyball) with 52 points and Western Carolina’s Jade Groen (women’s tennis) with 43 points.

Schubert capped his career with one of the most prolific seasons in the history of Southern Conference Track & Field and Cross Country. The Loveland, Colo., senior earned All-America honors in both cross country and outdoor track this past season, finishing third at the NCAA Division I Cross Country National Championship in Verona, Wisc., and taking seventh in the 10,000m run at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field National Championships at storied Haywood Field in Eugene, Ore.

Schubert also qualified for the NCAA Division I National Championships indoors in the 5,000m run. He was named NCAA Southeast Region Male Cross Country Athlete of the Year after his third-place finish, which was the highest ever for a Paladin competitor. His effort made Schubert the first three-time All-America honoree in Furman cross country history.

In addition to numerous All-SoCon honors on the track, Schubert was named 2024 SoCon Cross Country Runner of the Year after leading the Paladins to their 12th-straight conference title and a top 20 team finish at nationals. Schubert also won the 5,000m title at the 2025 SoCon Outdoor Championships. During the regular season, he set new program records in the 5,000m run (indoor) and 10,000m run (outdoor).

Schubert carried a 3.30 cumulative GPA in his major of health sciences and earned a spot on the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team, SoCon Academic All-Conference Team, and SoCon Honor Roll.

He appeared as either the first or second choice on 16 of the 20 ballots cast in this year’s Male Athlete of the Year voting, picking up a dominant 81 points. UNC Greensboro’s Yoshiya Okawa (men’s soccer) was next with 46 points, and ETSU’s Quimari Peterson (men’s basketball) was third with 41 points.

The voting panel saw 100 percent participation in 2024-25, with all 20 ballots submitted for each award.