Honoring a True Scholar-Athlete
Kangaroo football player Madison Ross ’16 is the first Austin College athlete to twice earn First Team Academic All-America recognition. A running back, Ross was named Austin College’s Pete Cawthon Outstanding Male Athlete in 2015, and this fall, he continued to build on his outstanding career. He finished the season as the leading rusher in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC).
Ross was named First Team All-SCAC and during the season, was twice named the SCAC Offensive Player of the Week. He completed his coursework in December as a Dean’s List student and four-time SCAC Academic Honor Roll member.
It’s How You Play the Game
The Kangaroo women’s soccer team received a 2015 Gold Team Ethics and Sportsmanship Award from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. The honor is given to teams that exhibit fair play, sporting behavior, and adherence to the rules of the game, as reflected by the number of yellow caution cards or red ejection cards received from referees throughout the season. Those receiving from 1 to 10 percent received gold awards. The ’Roos were the only SCAC team, and one of only 15 teams nationwide, to earn the gold award.
The NSCAA Team Ethics and Sportsmanship Awards are given to teams across all levels, including NCAA Division I, Division II, and Division III; the NAIA; and junior college ranks. Eight college teams received the Platinum Award for playing an entire season without receiving a yellow or red card; no SCAC schools were among the recipients.
A New Austin College Record in Volleyball
Rachel Fusselman ’16 had a tremendous senior season for the Kangaroo volleyball team. She was named SCAC Defensive Player of the Week three times in the first six weeks of the 2015 season. At the position of libero, she broke the Austin College career record for digs and finished as the national leader in all of NCAA Division III in total digs in 2015. She completed the season with 820 digs—the only player in Division III with more than 800 digs. Fusselman became the first Austin College player to surpass 2,000 digs in a career, racking up 2,417.
Great Coaching
Early in the season, Ed Garza, head coach of the volleyball squad, earned his 500th victory leading the ’Roos—quite a way to celebrate 20 years at Austin College. Congratulations, Coach!
