General | 9/17/2026 7:20:00 PM
ERIE, Pa. – Gannon University Athletics has named women's basketball student-athlete Bella Deere and men's water polo student-athlete Michael McGarry as its PNC Achievers for the fall 2026 academic semester.
Deere and McGarry become the seventh and eighth Gannon student-athletes to receive the honor since the PNC Achievers program began at Gannon in the spring of 2025.
The fall 2026 selections mark the fourth group of PNC Achievers recognized by Gannon since the spring of 2025. Deere and McGarry were selected by members of the Athletic Department following nominations by their coaching staff.
"At PNC, we believe investing in future leaders is one of the most meaningful ways to strengthen our communities," said Jim Stevenson, PNC regional president for Northwestern Pa. "Bella and Michael are being recognized through the PNC Achievers program because they have shown exceptional determination, leadership, and character, and we're proud to team up with Gannon again this fall to celebrate their accomplishments."
"Bella and Mike are excellent representatives of our athletics department, and we are honored for them to be recognized with this well-deserved award from PNC," said Meghan Morphy, director of Athletics. "We are grateful for PNC's continued support in providing this meaningful celebration of our student-athletes' commitment to excellence in the classroom, on our campus and in our community."
PNC Bank recognizes, celebrates and showcases students who excel academically, contribute through community service and are engaged leaders on campus. Deere and McGarry excel in all three categories and meet additional University requirements, including:
- Maintaining an overall 3.5 GPA and being named to the Dean's List every semester on campus
- Participating in a minimum of 10-20 hours of community service per academic year
- Possessing exemplary leadership skills, both in and out of competition
Now in her third year with the Gannon women's basketball program, redshirt sophomore Bella Deere, a native of Union, Kentucky, is pursuing a degree in the Physician Assistant program and has maintained a perfect 4.00 GPA. Deere has been named a PSAC Scholar-Athlete in both 2024-25 and 2025-26.
Deere has also been heavily involved in community service during her time at Gannon. Her service efforts include GIVE Day, Day of Caring, the CARE Game, Sisters of St. Joseph, Anna Shelter, Brevillier Village, St. Charles Community Nursing Home and Fairview Elementary.
In addition to her academic and community involvement, Deere has served as a SAAC Council representative for two years. She has established herself as a leader within the women's basketball program through her work ethic and commitment to the program and her teammates.
Also, in his third year at Gannon, Michael McGarry, a junior from Erie, Pennsylvania, is an Electrical Engineering major who has maintained a perfect 4.00 GPA while competing with the men's water polo program. McGarry was named to the WWPA All-Academic Team in 2024 and 2025 and earned the D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award in 2025-26.
McGarry has contributed to the Erie and Gannon communities through GIVE Day, Day of Caring, ZooBoo and Zabawa. His leadership also extends to the pool, where the Erie native currently serves as a co-captain of the Gannon men's water polo team. McGarry has balanced his 4.00 GPA in electrical engineering with competing at the NCAA Division II National Championships and participating in ROTC.
Gannon University is committed to teaching the values related to this program and is proud to be one of over a dozen schools across the country to partner with the PNC Achievers program.
Gannon PNC Achievers
Spring 2025
Lillie Fritz – Acrobatics and Tumbling
Gavyn Hansotte – Men's Cross Country
Fall 2025
Josie Spano – Softball
Lance Slater – Baseball
Spring 2026
Alyssa Lerch – Women's Lacrosse
Jacob Wright – Men's Wrestling
Fall 2026
Bella Deere – Women's Basketball
Michael McGarry – Men's Water Polo
About PNC Bank
PNC Bank, National Association, is a member of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC). PNC is one of the largest diversified financial services institutions in the United States, organized around its customers and communities for strong relationships and local delivery of retail and business banking including a full range of lending products; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; wealth management and asset management. For information about PNC, visit www.pnc.com.
