AMERICUS, Ga.- Georgia Southwestern men's golfer Nicholas Ward has been named the recipient of the 2015-16 Peach Belt Conference Elite 15 Award for men's golf.

The PBC Elite 15 Award, presented by GradesFirst, is given at each PBC Championship to the student-athlete competing in the event with the highest cumulative GPA. The 2015-16 year is the fourth year the awards have been presented.

Ward becomes the first Hurricane in any sport to win the PBC Elite 15 Award. A junior from Eastbourne, England, he has a 3.921 GPA with a major in Management.  A member of the PBC All-Academic team and PBC second team all-conference, he played in every tournament for the Hurricanes and was second on the team with a 74.09 stroke average.  He had three top-10 finishes this season and fired 10 rounds at par or lower.

Ward has been named to the PBC Presidential Honor Roll Gold Scholar his freshman and sophomore years. His sophomore campaign was capped off with a number of acolades including; All-American honorable mention, a selection to the Division II PING All-Region Southeast Team, PBC All-Conference Second Team, Named to the 2014-2015 Peach Belt Conference All-Academic Team with a 3.87 GPA and a member of the 2014-15 All-Academic team from the Golf Coaches Association of America.

To see all of the Elite 15 Award winners, click here.

For a quick look at how the 'Canes did this season, click here.

For more updates on the GSW golf team follow them on Twitter at @GSW_Golf.