ATHENS, Ga. — Caterina Don has been named as the female recipient of the 2022-23 Joel Eaves Scholar-Athlete Award.
The award is presented to the University of Georgia’s 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.
Men’s cross country runner Nicolas Fontova is this year’s male Joel Eaves Award honoree.
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 mathematics major from 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.
Don is the third women’s golfer to win the award but the first in more than two decades. She follows Sabra Gray in 1996-97, Julia Boros in 1997-98 and Shannon Ogg in 1999-2000.