The first two PBC championships of the season were held in November and the first two Elite 16 Awards were presented. Flagler’s Marcus Graham and USC Aiken’s Sophie King were the recipients of the awards, which are presented by EAB.

The PBC Elite 16 is presented at each of the conference’s 16 championship sports to the student-athlete participating in the event with the highest overall cumulative GPA. 2020-21 is the ninth year of the program.

Graham becomes the first Flagler men’s runner to win the PBC Elite 16. A senior from Bristow, Ind., he was named a PBC co-Runner of the Year in 2020 after winning all three events he competed in during the regular season. He finished in third place at the 2020 PBC Championships to earn his second All-Conference honor and was named the PBC Runner of the Week on Nov. 2. In the classroom, Graham carries a 3.97 GPA with a major in criminology. He was named to the 2020 PBC Team of Academic Distinction.

King is the first USC Aiken women’s cross country runner to receive the Elite 16 award. A junior from Aiken, S.C., she ran in all three regular-season events for the Pacers, posting a 16th-place finish at the Sand Shark Invitational and finished 43rd at the PBC Championship. Twice a member of the PBC Team of Academic Distinction, she carries a 4.00 GPA with a major in nursing.

EAB helps today's education leaders solve their biggest problems and is a long-time sponsor of the PBC's Elite 16 Award. Learn more about EAB here.