Sara Borders

Classroom

Sara Borders carried a 3.86 GPA as an exercise sciences and wellness major with a minor in nutrition and earned her degree after three and a half years. She was named to the 2014 Capital One Academic All-America Team and to the 2014 Academic All-America Second Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). She was named to CoSIDA Academic All-District Team for 2014, the OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll from 2011 to 2014, the President’s List for Spring 2012 and Fall 2013, and the Dean’s List for Fall 2011 and 2012 and Spring 2013 and 2014.

Character

A leader on and off the field, Borders has a drive to succeed in anything she does while leading her teammates and classmates to do the same. She is active in several organizations, including the Student-Athlete Advisory Council and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society.

Community

Borders is a volunteer with the V Foundation Cancer Research and Meals of Mercy feeding the homeless. She was a volunteer at a fishing tournament for special needs children and at Gamecock Gallop (Health, Physical Education, Recreation Department). She also has participated in the Samaritan’s Purse Shoebox Project.

Competition

Borders has been an All-Ohio Valley Conference player in each of her three years of competition, including being named the 2014 OVC Player of the Year as a junior. She was a First-Team All-Region selection by the NFCA and led the Gamecocks to their first regular season OVC title since 2009. As a sophomore, she led the team to the OVC Tournament title and a berth in the NCAA Regional.

As a junior in 2014, Borders led the Gamecocks with a 0.417 average and led the OVC in most of its offensive categories. She was second in average but first in slugging percentage (.780), on-base percentage (.515), runs scored (49), hits (70), RBI (50), doubles (15), home runs (14) and total bases (131). Her 30 walks were second in the league. She became the first Gamecock to be named the OVC’s Player of the Year since 2009 after a season that saw her rank in the top five in JSU’s single-season record book in average (fourth), slugging percentage (second) and runs (fifth) and in the top 10 in hits (10th), RBI (seventh), walks (eighth).