BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Jacksonville State's Chelsea Pelletier has been selected as one of just six individuals to receive the prestigious Scholar-Athlete Award for 2009-10, the Ohio Valley Conference announced today.

The award is the highest individual honor that can be earned by OVC student-athletes, and is given annually to three men and three women student-athletes of junior or senior status for their accomplishments in both the classroom and athletic arena, and because of their leadership qualities.

The six winners were selected from a group of 18 finalists by a vote of OVC Faculty Athletics Representatives. Honorees must have performed athletically with distinction, earned at least a 3.25 grade point average and conducted themselves in a manner which has brought credit to the student-athlete, his or her institution, intercollegiate athletics and the OVC. The award is based on academic and athletic criteria/accomplishments achieved during the 2009-10 school year.

The Fort Worth, Texas, native is a three-year letterwinner for the Gamecock women's soccer team and was a first-team All-OVC selection as a sophomore. In 2009, she started 16 of 17 games and finished second on the team with 13 points (4 goals, 5 assists) and was named OVC Player of the Week on Sept. 15. As a freshman, she had 16 points (7 goals, 2 assists) in 18 games on her way to OVC All-Newcomer honors.

In the classroom, Pelletier has a perfect 4.0 grade point average in communications with a minor in marketing. The junior has been named to the JSU President's List, the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll as well as being a Medal of Honor selection and a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District selection.

Off the field, Pelletier serves as President of the Jacksonville State Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and as the Media Chair of the NCAA Division I National SAAC. She also participated in the 2009 NCAA Leadership Development Conference and is a member of the Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Honor Society.

It marks the second straight year a Jacksonville State student-athlete has earned this prestigious honor as former football player Josh Cain was a selection last year.

The complete list of 2009-10 Ohio Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete winners are: Alex Das of Eastern Kentucky University (tennis), Dustin Davis of Southeast Missouri State University (cross country/track & field), Megan Gingerich of Eastern Illinois University (cross country/track & field), Stephanie Lynch of Eastern Kentucky University (soccer), Chelsea Pelletier of Jacksonville State University (soccer) and Cody Terry of the University of Tennessee at Martin (baseball).