Rock Hill, S.C.----Wingate University senior guard Laney Beale has earned the prestigious South Atlantic Conference Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete award, league officials announced Thursday morning. The SAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year award is presented annually to the top student-athlete in each sport, recognizing excellence in academics, athletics, leadership, and service. Beale's accomplishments exemplify the Conference's commitment to developing well-rounded student-athletes.

"Laney Beale is amazing," head coach Ann Hancock says. "She exemplifies what it means to be a great teammate and student-athlete. Laney has her priorities in order and is able to consistently give her best in the classroom and on the court. She does everything for the right reasons. Laney wants her team to win. Most of the things she does go unnoticed because she isn't often the leading scorer or a flashy player. We would not have had the success we have had this year without Laney's willingness to do whatever the team needs her to do for us to win."

Beale has earned all-conference accolades each of the last two seasons for the Bulldogs, while earning a spot on the All-SAC Tournament squad as a sophomore, helping Wingate capture the tourney title. She appeared in 102 games as a Bulldog, making 100 starts in her WU career, while piling up 857 points, 539 rebounds, 356 assists and 147 steals, shooting 48 percent from the field in her career and 78 percent at the free throw line. She averaged 8.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game throughout her career.

Beale contributed 10.4 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in the 2024-25 season to earn All-SAC honors for the first time in her career, while adding 99 assists and 48 steals. She contributed 8.8 points and 4.4 rebounds per contest this season while handing out 103 assists and notching 48 steals. Beale registered a pair of triple-doubles in her Bulldog career.

Beale has accumulated a 4.0 GPA in her time at Wingate, majoring in Sport Management. A three-time SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll honoree, Beale was named the 2026 SAC Women's Basketball Elite 23 award winner. She has earned a spot on the WU President's List every semester of her career, while earning Academic All-District accolades each of the last two years.

Beale has also gotten it done around campus and the community during her time at Wingate. She has served in the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) each of the last two years, while also volunteering with Union Diversified Industries for the last three years. Beale served as a coach and as an assistant program coordinator for the Special Olympics of Orange County for two years. She has also served as a volunteer at Wingate Elementary School and The Guru School in Hillsborough. Beale has volunteered at Carol Woods Retirement Community for three years and has been a volunteer at Wingate Baptist Church. She also spent three years as a coach at the Eric Montross Basketball Camp at UNC Chapel Hill.

WINGATE UNIVERSITY 

Wingate University is a lab of difference-making that serves more than 3,400 students in North Carolina and offers 60 degree pathways, including 37 undergraduate majors, 10 pre-professional tracks and five dual-degree programs. Graduate students choose from seven master's and five doctoral programs. The University is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences, the Levine College of Health Sciences, the Byrum School of Business, the Thayer School of Education and the School of Sport Sciences.
 
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a leader in healthcare education where nearly one in five undergraduate students is preparing to be a pharmacist, physician assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist or nurse. Student-athletes on Wingate's 30 teams compete in NCAA Division II and have brought home the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award the past 17 times it has been awarded. The University's motto is "Faith, Knowledge, Service." View current news and videos at www.wingate.edu.