ROCK HILL, S.C. --- Tusculum College's Nick Forsberg has been named the 2016 South Atlantic Conference Men's Golf Scholar Athlete of the Year announced league officials Monday. Forsberg earns this honor for a second consecutive year.

This marks the seventh time a Tusculum men's golfer has earned this honor that recognizes academic achievement, athletic accomplishment, community service and leadership. The SAC Scholar Athlete Award is presented to one male and one female student-athlete in each of the conference's 18 championship sports. The awards are selected by the league's Faculty Athletic Representatives Committee.

Forsberg, a native of Staples, Minnesota, graduated from Tusculum on Saturday with a 3.73 cumulative grade point average and majored in sport management. He is a four-time member of the South Atlantic Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll and the Tusculum Athletic Director's Honor Roll. A four-time Dean's List honoree, Forsberg was named to the Charles Oliver Honors List.

"Nick is one of the most outstanding young men I've had the honor to in my 27 years at Tusculum," said head coach Bob Dibble. "He's an outstanding player, an outstanding teammate and a great student. It doesn't get any better than that."

Forsberg closed out his senior season with a 72.93 scoring average, which ranks fifth-best in program history while earning All-SAC first team accolades. He turned in eight sub-par rounds during his senior campaign and won a share of medalist honors at the Etowah Spring Challenge. His play helped the Pioneers to five tournament titles this past season and ended his career with a 74.40 stroke average to rank third in Tusculum history. He posted seven top-10 finishes, including five times in the top-5.

Forsberg earned medalist honors at the 2015 South Atlantic Conference Championship after firing a one-under par 143. He finished in the top-10 in three events during the 2015 season and was the runner-up at the Tusculum Invitational with a three-under par 139. His lowest round of the year came at the Tusculum Fall Classic as he carded a 67 to finish at four under par. As a team, the Pioneers took home five championships, including the 2015 South Atlantic Conference Men's Golf Title. He earned second-team All-Conference honors as a freshman and was named the Tusculum College Men's Golf Most Valuable Player during his freshman and sophomore seasons. During his sophomore campaign, Forsberg earned runner-up honors at the 2014 SAC Men's Golf Championship.

In the community, Forsberg has served as a volunteer with the Greene County Food Bank all four years at TC and has volunteered at the Nolichucky View Golf Course as a spotter at golf tournaments. He has worked with the Make-A-Wish foundation as a volunteer and was a junior golf camp worker at the Craguns Golf Resort in his hometown in Minnesota.

Forsberg is also busy on campus as he served this past year as president of the Pioneer Student-Athletes Advisory Council and was an intern in the Tusculum College Athletic Department.

Forsberg becomes the second repeat winner of this award for the Pioneers. All-American and CoSIDA Academic All-American® Chase Carroll was a three-time recipient of the SAC Scholar Athlete Award (2007, 2008, 2009). Also earning this honor from the men's golf program were Tim Dalton (2002) and David Talley (2013). Tusculum's seven honorees are the most by a league men's golf program since 2000.

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