2015-2016
By Jeff Kelly, Sports Information Coordinator
The Austin College football team completed a solid season in 2015, going 5-5 behind the strong play of running back Madison Ross ’16, who led the SCAC in rushing. Ross was named a First Team Academic All-American for the second straight year. Cooper Woodyard ’17 was the SCAC Special Teams Player of the Year in addition to earning All-SCAC recognition at quarterback. Overall, 15 ’Roos earned All-Conference distinction, including nine First Team All-SCAC selections.
The Kangaroo men’s soccer team wrapped up the 2015 campaign with an overall record of 5-13-1, with two members of the team earning All-SCAC distinction. Defender Chase Gaskill ’18 was an Honorable Mention All-Conference selection, as was forward Thomas Quick ’18, who led the ’Roos with six goals on the year. Quick also tied for the team lead with three assists on
the season.
The ’Roo women’s soccer team went 3-14-2 overall in the 2015 season, as the team had a tough time putting goals on the board with just 14 tallies in 19 games. Erin Eckart ’18 was a
Second Team All-SCAC selection for terrific play throughout the year.
The Austin College volleyball team finished up the 2015 season with a record of 26-16, with those 26 victories ranking as the most for the ’Roos since winning 29 matches during the 2010 season. The ’Roos placed a pair of players on the All-SCAC team, with Rebekah Bowden ’18 earning First Team honors while Presleigh Watson ’17 was a Second Team honoree. Rachel Fusselman ’16 became the program’s all-time leader in career digs, and led the nation in total digs in 2015.
In the first season under new head coach Bryan Garcia, the Kangaroo men’s and women’s cross country teams made terrific strides throughout the 2015 season, with the men placing seventh at the SCAC Championships while the women finished fourth. Eden Llamas ’18 had an outstanding showing at the conference meet, which was held in Sherman, finishing 16th overall with a time of 26:27.5 on the 5K course. Jeff Kubena ’17 placed 35th to pace the men, coming in with a time of 34:59.2 on the 8K course.
The Kangaroo women’s basketball team had one of its strongest seasons of the past 15 years, finishing the year with an overall record of 18-8 and winning a share of the SCAC regular season championship. The ’Roos fell to Schreiner in the SCAC semifinals, but led by conference Newcomer of the Year Bryce Frank ’19 and Defensive Player of the Year Katie Gowdy ’16, Austin College ranked No. 8 in the South Region, marking the first time since 2009-2010 that the ’Roos cracked the regional rankings. Frank, Gowdy, Kendall Heitmeier ’17, Kali Vittallo ’18, and Olivia Bailey ’17 earned All-SCAC distinction.
The Austin College men’s basketball team had perhaps the hottest start to a season in program history in 2015, coming out of the gates with a 10-0 record before ultimately advancing to the SCAC semifinals, where the ’Roos fell in overtime to Colorado College. The ’Roos finished the year with a record of 16-11, the best single-season win total since the program won 20 games in the 2009-2010 campaign. Stephen Igbinosa ’18 was named the SCAC Defensive Player of the Year; Alan Sullivan ’16 and Brian Baehl ’17 earned All- Conference recognition. Sullivan scored 40 points in a victory during the regular season, the most in a single game by a ’Roo since Christian Morgia ’99 scored 43 in 1998.
The Austin College men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams had strong seasons, with a combined fifth-place finish at the SCAC Championships. Lauren Wheeler ’16 wrapped up one of the most decorated careers in Kangaroo swimming history by earning All-SCAC honors for the fourth straight season and breaking the program record in the 100 butterfly. Parker Adams ’16 also earned All-SCAC honors in the 3-meter diving event, and Collin Vu ’19 broke his own program record in the 50 freestyle with a time of 21.69.
