PC’s Johnson Named Big South Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Rairigh Earned Big South All-Academic Team Honors

Senior William Johnson and junior Caroline Rairigh of the Presbyterian Blue Hose cross country teams earned Big South Academic honors. Johnson was named the Big South Men’s Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Johnson also was named to the Big South Men’s Cross Country All-Academic team. Rairigh earned Big South Women’s Cross Country All-Academic team honors.

Johnson is the first men’s cross country runner in the program’s history to be named  Big South Scholar-Athlete of the Year. This marks the second straight season that a Blue Hose cross country runner was the league’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year after former women’s cross country standout Lili Jaraczewski was Big South Women’s Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2022. With Johnson being selected as the Big South Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Presbyterian College student-athletes have now claimed the Big South Scholar-Athlete of the Year award 19 times in school history.

Johnson has a 4.0 GPA with a double major in History and Biochemistry. During his academic career at PC, he has been on the President’s List six times as well as being named to the Big South Honor Roll.

This season, the Lexington, South Carolina native shattered the PC men’s cross country 5K school record with a time of 16:36.5 in the first meet of the season at the Belmont Opener on September 1. He recorded the fastest time on the team in every race this season.

Rairigh has a 3.92 GPA majoring in Psychology with a minor in French. During her academic career at PC, she has been on the President’s List two times and the Dean’s List two times as well as the Big South Honor Roll.

This season, she set a new personal record with a time of 20:32.3 in the Big South Championships on October 29.  She posted her best time since her freshman season at the FSU Invitational on September 29. She finished among PC’s top three runners four times this season.