ROCK HILL, S.C.  – Lenoir-Rhyne University's Carles Montoliu Lobo was voted the 2021 South Atlantic Conference Men's Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Lobo becomes the second LR player to ever win the award and the first since 1992.

The South Atlantic Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year award is presented annually to one student-athlete in each of the Conference's championship sports and is voted on by the SAC's Faculty Athletic Representatives Committee. The winners are selected based on their achievements in academics, athletics, service, and leadership.

Lobo, a senior engineering physics and computer science double major, has a 3.95 GPA and is a three-time Lenoir-Rhyne President's List selection. He has been named to the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll each of the last four years, was the SAC Elite 20 winner in the spring of 2021, and was a 2020-21 CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree.

"This is a wonderful achievement for someone who epitomizes what a scholar-athlete should be," said Lenoir-Rhyne head men's soccer coach Jack Winter. "Carles has developed into one of the most remarkable young men that's ever come through this program. He deserves this recognition and his future is incredibly bright. We are so proud of him for this accomplishment."

On the field, Lobo is a three-time All-SAC selection as a midfielder, including earning first team honors in 2021. He had three goals and two assists during the 2021 season, scoring the game-winner against Florida Tech and he helped lead the Bears to a No. 8 national ranking during the season.   

A native of Valencia, Spain, Lobo is very active off the field as well serving as a member of the Lenoir-Rhyne Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and he is part of the Bears Leadership Academy. The two-time team captain also volunteered over the summer months with the Asociacion Periferia, a Spanish association that helps children at risk of social exclusion.