FARMVILLE, Va. – For a sixth consecutive year, Longwood and Dr. Ray Gaskins have partnered together to recognize and reward student-athletes for their success both in the classroom and on the court, field or track.
 
Today, on National Student-Athlete Day, two new Lancers join the select group of student-athletes who have represented that achievement and success: Ayden Stewart, '27, from Longwood outdoor track, and Kai Wheeler, '27, from Longwood cross country and track. The pair were presented with the Dr. Ray Gaskins Award for Academic Excellence in Athletics.
 
"Days, and moments, like this are one some of the best parts of working at Longwood," said Longwood Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Tim Hall. "Having our student-athletes be recognized for all the little details that lead to their success both in the classroom and on the playing surface through support from the Longwood community is incredibly special. That support highlights special connections that are fostered by college athletics, and seeing the next generation of citizen leaders be recognized in the here and now emphasizes it. Academics is at the heart of what we do, and we are grateful to Dr. Gaskins for his continued support that provides paths for our student-athletes to be successful."
 
"The scholarship aspect of it. Student. Scholar-athletes," said Dr. Gaskins about what makes this award special. "I would like all students to graduate with the least amount possible in student debt, but especially student-athletes because they have to do double duty. They have to practice and work out every day, and they have to do their homework at night. And I don't see how they can do it and still make really good grades. So I'm impressed."
 
Stewart has excelled as a sprinter while helping lead Longwood track into new horizons, with the program officially competing in outdoor track in 2024. He has been there every step of the way, and he became the first sprinter to qualify for a Big South final on the men's side as a freshman, and he finished just off the podium last season in the men's 400-meters.
 
Earlier this year, Stewart recorded his first Big South podium finish when placed third at the Big South Indoor Track & Field Championship in Longwood's first season with indoor track. He holds the program record in the 400-meters as well.
 
In the classroom, Stewart has been a Dean's List honoree five times for having a semester GPA between 3.5-3.99, and he is majoring in sociology with minors in both criminology and criminal justice studies and women, gender & sexuality studies.
 
Wheeler, meanwhile, has competed for both the cross country and track teams in her three seasons at Longwood. She set a personal best in the 800 meters earlier this year at the Big South Indoor Track & Field Championship, and she has run both the 800- and 1,500-meter races this season.
 
She is deeply involved in the vibrant campus community as well. In addition to her studies as a health & physical education major with a PK-12 concentration, Wheeler is in the Outdoors Club, has volunteered with Morgan's Message, been the secretary for Relay for Life, is a member of Phi Epsilon Kappa, and is a member of the Honor Society for Health & Physical Education majors.
 
Wheeler has been a member of the Dean's List twice along with one selection to the President's List for a perfect 4.0 GPA during a semester.
 
The Dr. Ray Gaskins Award for Academic Excellence in Athletics provides two scholarships of $3,500 that will be applied to each student-athlete's tuition for the coming academic year.
 
Gaskins, a longtime Longwood basketball season-ticket holder, has funded scholarship opportunities for Longwood students involved in various aspects of student life and pursuing several different areas of study.
 
Among the scholarships established by his gifts are the Dr. Ray A. Gaskins Basketball Scholarship, awarded to a member of the Longwood men's basketball team; The Dr. Ray A. Gaskins Cross Country and Track & Field Scholarship; The Mrs. Bessie M. Land Gaskins Teacher's Scholarship, awarded to a student who plans to become a teacher; The Dr. Ray A. Gaskins Math & Computer Science Scholarship, awarded to a student majoring in either math or computer science; The John Allen Gaskins Scholarship, awarded to a student majoring in the College of Business and Economics; The Elsie M. Small Scholarship, awarded to a student majoring in the College of Education & Human Services; The Beverly Gaskins Vincent Scholarship Fund, also awarded to a student majoring in the College of Education & Human Services; and the prestigious Gaskins Scholar, a four-year full ride scholarship awarded to a student in the Cormier Honors College.
 
A 1972 graduate of Virginia Tech who earned his Ph.D. in statistics, Gaskins is a career educator who was a member of the mathematics and computer science faculty at Hampden-Sydney College for 27 years.

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