VANCOUVER, Wash. -- The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced on Friday morning that Spring Hill College women's cross country runner Payton Tanner was named to the 2012 Daktronics-NAIA Scholar Athlete roster.

For Tanner, a senior from Fairhope, Ala., who is majoring in Integrated Communications with a minor in Marketing Management, this is the second consecutive appearance on the prestigious list. Tanner is also a three-time member of the SSAC All-Academic Team.

Since the award was introduced in 1979, a total of 148 SHC student-athletes have received Scholar Athlete recognition from the NAIA.

This year a total of 317 women's cross country runners were named 2012 Daktronics-NAIA Scholar Athletes. Nominated by each institution's head coach, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale and have achieved junior academic status to qualify.