Gainesville, GA - Coach Devon Thomas has announced Madison Strickland as the newest addition to the Golden Tigers' softball team. Throughout her high school career at West Hall High School, Strickland has achieved success in the classroom and on the field. 

Holding high expectations for herself, she never missed a day of class and was always ranked in the top 10%, or higher. In the course of four years, Strickland was the recipient of the Jack A. Pirkle Award for Leadership with Humility and Compassion, Wendy's Heisman Award, Jenny Melton Scholarship, International Baccalaureate Economics Award, International Baccalaureate Biology Award, International Baccalaureate Math Studies Award, and the highest GPA on her athletic team.

Outside of the classroom, Madison was involved in an array of extracurricular activities. From her freshmen year on, she demonstrated a commitment to become an active member of the Beta Club, the Creation Activity Service, the Future Business Leaders of America, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and the National Honor Society. 

Strickland was also dedicated to being a volunteer at the Canned Food Drives, the Salvation Army, Jenny's Garden, and Flat Creek Baptist Church Vacation Bible School. She remained involved with these community service projects for the duration of high school.

When it came to athletics, Madison was no different. She had an unwavering commitment to her team, and was always looking for ways to improve.

In her high school career, Strickland acquired a .319 batting average. With that, she collected 27 doubles, 18 triples, 3 HRs, and 70 RBIs.

Her talent and drive quickly put her in the spotlight, gaining her recognition year after year. Madison was named Freshman of the Year All-State Selection, the 2x recipient of the Coach's Award, Team MVP, and 2x All-State Honorable Mention.

Coach Thomas and the Golden Tigers softball team are thrilled to have Madison become a part of their program. Brenau has worked hard to create the winning tradition that they are nationally known for and Madison will help the Golden Tigers to build their momentum needed for this season.

Gainesville, GA - Infielder, Lydia Gerrin, has signed with the Brenau University softball team for the 2011-2012 season. Gerrin recently graduated from Habersham High School, where she accumulated many awards and accomplishments on and off the field.

As a student-athlete she received six years of perfect attendance, as well as, the title of honor graduate. Gerrin's extracurricular activities consisted of being an active member in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), the Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), and her student council.

As a freshman, Lydia was awarded Most Valuable Player for Habersham's softball team. At the conclusion of her sophomore year, she was given the Hustle Award. Throughout her junior year, she continued to gain recognition, as she received Most Valuable Player, 1st Team All-Region, and the Offensive Award. In Gerrin's final year of her high school career, she left everything on the field, allowing her to be named Most Valuable Player (for the third time), 1st Team All-Region (for the second time), recipient of the Offensive Award (twice in a row), the Region Coach's Award, and the Home Run Record Holder (with 5).

When asked about the Golden Tigers' newest infielder, Coach Devon Thomas responded by saying, "Lydia is a hard working player that will benefit our program with her dedication and determination on the field and in the classroom. She will add depth to our infield and more power at the plate". 

Gulf Shores, AL - The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has announced the 326 softball student-athletes that have been named the 2011 Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes. In order to be nominated, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, and must have achieved a junior academic status to qualify for this honor.

Receiving this title for the Golden Tigers Softball Team is junior, Brooke Bryant (Royston, GA). While competing for No. 10 Brenau University, Bryant managed to focus on her academics, while also dedicating many hours towards her practices and games.

Gainesville, GA - The National Fastpitch Coaches Association recently named the 2011 Louisville Slugger All-Region Team. Several of the Golden Tigers earned a position on this elite team, due to their performance this past season. 

The 2011 Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) Player of the Year, Tiffany Schandera (Columbus, GA) was named to a member of the 1st team. The sophomore led the Golden Tigers from 3rd base, while holding the lead off position, in hitting. Schandera finished the season No. 1 in the conference, for her batting average; she collected 76 hits, while acquiring an average of 0.487. Moreover, she ranks 2nd in the nation for doubles per game, and 3rd for total doubles. Schandera continued to dominate with her stats as she ranked 5th in the nation for runs scored per game, 6th for hits per game, and 7th with her batting average. 

Junior catcher, Morgan Smith (Covington, GA), was named 1st team All-Conference earlier this spring, and now received the honor of being named to the Louisville Slugger 1st team. Although Smith was out for a time period, due to an elbow injury, she was still able to gain the recognition she deserved. Over the course of the season, Smith earned 9 homeruns, 45 RBIs, and obtained a batting average of 0.414.

SSAC Co-Freshman of the Year, Jenny Shepherd (Martinez, GA), was the final Golden Tiger to be named to the 1st team. At the end of her first season, Shepherd led the conference in strikeouts, with 96. She was a force from the mound and the plate, racking up 6 homeruns and 45 RBIs, earning a batting average of 0.405.

Anna Maness (Seagrove, NC) was also named a member to the 1st team All-Conference, while now receiving the honor of Louisville Slugger All-Region, 2nd team. This sophomore pitcher consistently defended Brenau from the mound, game after game. Maness showcased her talent, as she led the conference for earned run average; she totaled 31 during the season, with an average of 1.29. She gained the respect of many spectators as she pitched several no hitter games.

Head Softball Coach, Devon Thomas, was happy for his players as he exclaimed, "This is a great honor for each of the girls as well as for the softball program and university. They are very deserving of the awards, and their hard work throughout the season paid off and gained them recognition at the national level."