ATHENS, Ga. — University of Georgia women’s golfer Caterina Don and men’s cross country and track and field runner Nicolas Fontova have been named recipients of the 2022-23 Joel Eaves Scholar-Athlete Award.
The award is presented to the male and female student-athletes with the highest grade point average upon entering the fall of semester of his or her senior year, based on academic hour rather than eligibility. Additionally, a student-athlete must have earned at least two varsity letters to be eligible for the award.
Eaves was the Director of Athletics at UGA from 1963-1979, and the award was established with the aim of acknowledging the contributions he made during his tenure while also highlighting the academic achievements of current student-athletes.
Don, a native of Pinerolo, Italy, was named an All-American in 2020 and collected All-SEC recognition in 2020 and 2021. She was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District team in 2021 – one of eight golfers nationally to earn the honor – and to Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) All-American Scholar Team in 2020, 2021 and 2022. Don has played in 31 tournaments during her collegiate career, with 15 top-20 individual finishes. She became just the second Bulldog to win her collegiate debut, shooting 9-under to earn medalist honors at the 2019 Minnesota Invitational and owns the school record for lowest single round ever, firing an 8-under 64 in the second round of the 2021 Heroes Intercollegiate. Additionally, Don participated in the 2020 U.S. Women’s Open and the 2019 and 2021 Augusta National Women’s Amateurs.
Fontova, an Atlanta native, is a Mathematics major who is seeking a minor in Religion. The three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll recipient has competed at a pair of SEC Cross Country Championships for the Bulldogs and at the 2021 NCAA South Regional. A scorer in cross, Fontova has raced at a variety of distances during the last two indoor and outdoor track seasons as he prepares for the 2022 campaigns.
