BOONE, N.C. — An Appalachian State University freshman from Gastonia will now get free tuition for one year after winning an ESPN College GameDay poster contest Saturday.
Zackary Carr was one of three students selected to win the tuition prize live on ESPN as the network broadcasted from the school's game against Troy Saturday.
"I’m feeling great," said Carr. "I’m still kind of speechless to be honest and I’m still shocked that I won but it’s great."
Carr's poster joked about Appalachian State's earlier win against Texas A&M and the money A&M paid to play Appalachian State. Carr's parents, App State alumni, helped come up with the concept of the sign.
"We put a lot of App State creative minds together," said Zackary's mother Dawn Carr. "It was some brainstorming amongst a few of us."
Not only does Zackary attend Appalachian State, but his brother is a junior at the school as well.
"So having my brother up here and my parents having to pay for two kids it’s just great that burden is off of them for a year," said Zackary Carr.
Zackary said his parents took him to App State games when he was younger so the university has been part of their family for a long time.
"It’s definitely a community up there," Dawn said. "Everybody loves each other and everybody has been so supportive, encouraging and just cheering on each other."
Only one winner was originally chosen but it was announced soon after that all three finalists would walk away with the free tuition for a year.
"I think that speaks volumes about the school by saying 'Hey, we want to try to help as many as we can so they gave all three (free tuition)," said Chris Carr, Zackary's father.