Tusculum University sprinter Marquel Pittman and golfer Nilubol Panno have been named 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 4×100 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 4×100-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 4×400 relay 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 17th 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.
