Buckeridge, Grant named Applebee's Student-Athletes of the Month for September

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum University cross country runner Nathan Buckeridge and soccer forward Sydney Grant have been named the Applebee's Student-Athletes of the Month for September 2025.

Buckeridge, a junior from Haywards Heath, England, has enjoyed a sizzling start to his debut season with the Pioneers. He has won the individual title in all three of his races this fall. He opened the campaign by winning the Roane State Invitational with an 8K time of 26:12, 91 seconds clear of the second-place runner. For his efforts, he was named the South Atlantic Conference Runner of the Week.

Buckeridge made it back-to-back victories by claiming the individual medal at the Brevard Classic covering the 8K course in 25:35.34, winning by more than a minute. He closed out the month with a first-place finish at the SAC Championship Preview held at Kinser Park in Greeneville. He posted a time of 28:26.9 on the hilly 8K layout which will host the Conference Championship later this month. He won the SAC Preview by 34 seconds.

His three wins are tied for the third-most in a season by a Pioneer. Buckeridge led Tusculum to back-to-back team wins at Roane State and Brevard, followed by a third-place showing at the SAC Championship Preview.

Grant, a senior from Schaumburg, Illinois, recorded four goals in her seven matches during the month including a pair of match-winners.

Three of her four goals game in the season's first two matches as Tusculum jumped out to a 2-0 start. She notched a goal in TU's 5-2 victory at Thomas More. She followed with a pair of goals including the match-winner in a 3-2 triumph at Ohio Dominican.

But her biggest scoring tally of the young season came in the 83^rd minute with her breakaway goal that gave Tusculum a two-goal cushion against SAC-preseason favorite Wingate. The Bulldogs cut the deficit in half with a goal in the 89^th minute, but the Pioneers would hold on thanks to Grant's match-winner in a 3-2 victory.

Grant has scored at least four goals in each of her four seasons at Tusculum, giving her 17 goals and 11 assists for 45 points in 56 career starts. Six of her career goals have accounted for match-winners.

The Tusculum Student-Athlete of the Month Award is sponsored by Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar of Greeneville.  The Applebee's Student-Athlete of the Month Award honors one male and one female student-athlete each month from an in-season sport during the 2025-26 academic year, recognizing their hard work, effort and performance.