Maria Kuhlman of Belmont Abbey has been chosen as the winner of the prestigious 2020-21 Conference Carolinas Murphy Osborne Award.
A senior from Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, Kuhlman owns a 3.99 grade-point average as a Theology major at Belmont Abbey. She also is minoring in Psychology and Sport Management.
The Conference Carolinas Elite 23 Award Winner in women’s basketball last season, Kuhlman was also a CoSIDA Academic All-District selection in the 2019-20 season.
On the court, Kuhlman was named the Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year in the 2017-18 season. She has been a first team all-conference selection in 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21. Kuhlman also earned all-conference honors as a third team selection in the 2017-18 season. Kuhlman was an all-region selection in the 2019-20 season.
The four-time all-conference selection is also a member of Belmont Abbey’s prestigious 1,000-point club.
Kuhlman has been strong in the community during her time at Belmont Abbey. A member of the Psychology Club and FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students), Kuhlman is also serving as a compliance intern with the athletic department this semester. In addition, Kuhlman has volunteered at the Charlotte Samaritan House (short term recuperative care for the homeless) and at Mount Hollyween, which is a community event on Halloween in Mount Holly, North Carolina.
The Murphy Osborne Award is Conference Carolinas’ Outstanding Senior Student-Athlete Award.
Student-Athletes are nominated by their institutions based on their academic, athletic and service accomplishments. The Faculty Athletic Representatives (FARs) from all Conference Carolinas institutions submit institutional nominations and votes are cast by the FARs.
To be eligible for the award, the student-athlete must be a December or May graduating senior or a first-year graduate student completing athletic eligibility at the same institution as undergraduate matriculation. The student-athlete must be a full-time student at the time of nomination, must have been a full-time student at the member school for at least two years and must be a starter or important substitute in a conference sport.
