Pittman, Panno named Applebee's Athletes of the Month

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum University sprinter Marquel Pittman and golfer Nilubol Panno have been named the Applebee's Student-Athletes of the Month for March. 

 

Pittman became the fourth Tusculum student-athlete to earn track & field All-America with a 12th-place finish in the 60 meters at the NCAA Division II Indoor Championship on March 10. Pittman, who was also a USTFCCCA All-Southeast Region performer, took second-team All-America honors along with teammate Zackary Nelson.

 

The Tallahassee, Florida native began the outdoor season by running in the 4x100 relay at the Trojan Opener on March 18 with an NCAA qualifying time of 40.76 seconds. One week later, Pittman was part of the 4x100-meter relay team that broke the school record and finished first at the Montreat College Open with a time of 40.18 seconds. He also ran in the 4x400 relay that finished first in 3:16.77 and posted the third-fastest time in program history. Pittman also finished third in the 100 meters at 10.70 seconds.

 

Panno, a senior from Phuket, Thailand, recorded four top-20 performances including two runner-up finishes as she carded a 75.82 stroke average for her 11 competitive rounds in the month.

 

She finished second at the CBU Buccaneer Classic as she carded a 54-hole total of 75-75-77=227. She followed with a 17^th place showing at the Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate where she posted 74-77-80=231. Panno notched her second runner-up finish of the month and third of the year at the Agnes McAmis Memorial where she filed a 74-78=152. She wrapped up the month with a career-low 75-75-74=224, which is tied for the second-lowest 54-hole total in school history.

 

Not including this week's SAC Championship, Panno has played in 26 events in her collegiate career where she has a 77.05 scoring average, which is the third-lowest by a Pioneer. Her 13 career top-10 finishes are tied for seventh in the TU record book including her nine top-5 finishes (4th most in school history).

 

The Tusculum Student-Athlete of the Month Award is sponsored by Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar of Greeneville.  The Applebee's Student-Athlete of the Month Award honors one male and one female student-athlete each month from an in-season sport during the 2022-23 academic year, recognizing their hard work, effort and performance.