Preston Wetherell Earns Student-Athlete Academic Award at VSU

Preston Wetherell of Port Orange, Florida, is the recipient of Valdosta State University’s 2025-2026 Division of Athletics Student-Athlete Academic Award. He is pictured with Troy Katen, director of athletics at VSU.

VALDOSTA — Preston Wetherell of Port Orange, Florida, is the recipient of Valdosta State University’s 2025-2026 Division of Athletics Student-Athlete Academic Award.

The Division of Athletics Student-Athlete Academic Award is presented to a junior, senior, or graduate student-athlete with the highest grade point average. Ties are not broken. Wetherell is a right-handed pitcher for the Blazer Baseball team, which he joined in 2024. 

“This honor reflects the hard work, discipline, and consistency I’ve brought to the field and the classroom,” he said. “My experience at VSU has challenged me to grow as a player, a student, and a person, and this award represents the balance I’ve worked to maintain. I’m grateful to my teammates, coaches, and professors who have supported me throughout this journey.”

Wetherell is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management and is expected to graduate this summer. He hopes to someday own his own business in either the medical sales industry or funeral home industry.

Wetherell’s commitment to academic and athletic excellence resulted in him earning the 2024 and 2025 Baseball Scholarship from the Division of Athletics and being named to the Spring 2025 Gulf South Conference Academic Honor Roll. He was also inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma, the National Collegiate Student-Athlete Honor Society.