High School Teammates Earn Two-Sport Conference
Honors
Only five years ago, the Austin College baseball team limped its way to a 2-36 record. At that point, few would have predicted the miraculous turnaround that culminated in an undefeated run through the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament (SCAC) and a berth into the NCAA Tournament in 2007.
Over the past few seasons Coach Carl Iwasaki has been stockpiling talented student-athletes. As it turned out, he did not need to go far to find talent and leadership to help make the Austin College baseball team a winning program.
In 2005, Matt Finke ’09 and David “Scooter” Means ’09 made the 10-minute drive from Denison, Texas, to arrive at Austin College — and to soon make a lasting impact on Kangaroo athletics. Means made his presence felt early on, leading the ’Roo football team in tackles his freshman year, a feat repeated every season of his career.
When spring rolled around, the two high school teammates were part of the baseball team, and soon worked their way into the starting lineup. A year later, Finke and Means had developed into two of the best players in the SCAC, evidenced by their First Team All-Conference selections as key members of the conference championship squad.
That conference championship represented tremendous accomplishment. “Coming from that low point a few years ago and seeing the team turn around into a conference champion a few years later is something special,” said Finke, a utility player who finished the season as the team’s starting second baseman. “I’m just glad to be able to say I was a part of something like that. Being a local guy and growing up only 10 minutes away makes it even that much more special.”
“Last season everything seemed to click for us at the right time,” added Means. “It has been a great experience to be part of turning the baseball program around. Everyone has worked hard and the change in attitude around the clubhouse is like night and day from when I came in as a freshman.”
Means, who split time between the outfield and his role as the team’s designated hitter, also noted similar changes in his other sport. “My feelings are the same for the football team, and I look for us to have a breakout year next season with the hard work and dedication that everyone is putting in.”
While the ’Roos captured only one football victory during Means’ freshman season, they’ve made great strides and have won a combined eight games in the past two seasons, thanks in large part last fall to the Denison duo, who have helped bolster the Austin College defense.
For Finke, who had opted to focus on baseball for his first two years at Austin College, the decision to return to the gridiron was based on one simple factor. “I missed it,” said Finke, a starter at both cornerback and safety in his first year back on the field. “I came to Austin College wanting to focus on one sport, but missed football so much. I missed having the ability to go hit someone. If I tried to do that on the baseball field I’m not so sure Coach Carl would like it too much.”
When the 2007 football season began, Finke showed that he hadn’t lost a step on the field, finishing among the SCAC leaders in interceptions and second on the team in tackles, behind only Means. His stellar play earned him All-Conference honors, giving him a distinction he shares with Means as All-SCAC performers in two sports.
The duo excels not only on the field of play, but also in the classroom. Both have earned Academic All-Conference honors — an astounding feat considering the amount of time and devotion that must be given as two-sport athletes.
“There’s not much time for anything else,” conceded Finke. “There’s morning workout, class all day with maybe an occasional nap, practice for a couple of hours after that, then it’s dinner time. After that it’s time to go back and study, then hit the sack.”
Means credits his teachers — past and present — with preparing him for the time commitments required. “Matt and I were blessed to have come from such a great high school,” said Means. “I believe that our teachers there prepared us very well for our college classes. Also, I believe that at Austin College, it is easy to make good grades because of the dedicated professors here. They are always great about going over anything I am having difficulty with, either in class or meeting with me on their own time. I think that kind of special attention sets Austin College apart.”
Finke added that achieving his goals in both athletics and academics has required prioritizing and making sacrifices. It’s about giving and taking so you can do what you have to do to be successful,” he said.
Women’s Soccer Program
Posts 10th Straight Winning Season
The Kangaroo women’s soccer team had a bit of an up-and-down season in fall 2007, but still managed to finish the year with a record of 7-6-5 overall. With that record, head coach Paul Burns and the Austin College women’s soccer program achieved the remarkable feat of 10 consecutive winning seasons.
The ’Roos finished 2-4-3 in a very strong Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) with wins over Oglethorpe at home and on the road at Hendrix. Out of conference, the ’Roos had several offensive explosions, eclipsing five goals in four different games and shutting out McMurry by an 8-0 score. The ’Roos outscored their opponents 39-16 on the year.
Three members of the women’s soccer team earned All-Conference accolades, led by selection of LeAnne Nguyen ’09 to the First Team All-SCAC, Helen Heres ’09 to Third Team All-SCAC, and Holly Messamore ’09, who led the ’Roos in scoring for the third straight season, to the Honorable Mention All-SCAC Team.
Messamore finished with nine goals and added a pair of assists to give her 20 total points, while Heres had six goals and tied with Faren Frazier ’09 for a team-best four assists despite missing some time with injuries. Jen Duncan ’08 scored five goals for the ’Roos, and Cari Hubbard ’08 scored four goals while primarily serving in a defensive role for Austin College.
Overall, 12 players scored goals for Austin College and two more added assists, giving the ’Roos a whopping 14 players contributing to the scoring column during the season. Kaitlin Elledge ’11 had an outstanding freshman season in goal for the ’Roos, allowing just 13 goals in 14 appearances and making 48 saves for a save percentage of .787 as the team’s primary starter in the net.
Football Team Leads Conference in Rushing
The Kangaroo football team enjoyed a solid season in head coach Ronnie Gage’s second year, finishing with a 4-6 record overall and 2-5 mark in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference competition. The season included the program’s first three-game win streak since 2002, defeating Colorado College, Sewanee, and Birmingham-Southern in consecutive weeks.
In their second season in the SCAC, the ’Roos finished at the top the conference in team rushing for the second straight year, averaging a staggering 241.1 yards per game on the ground. Ross Hasten ’09 and Ryan Cowley ’08 led the attack for the ’Roos, as Hasten piled up 672 yards and seven touchdowns and Cowley added nine touchdowns and 653 yards. Both backs averaged 5.7 yards per carry.
Hasten and Cowley were Honorable Mention All-SCAC performers, joining eight of their teammates as All-Conference honorees. Justin Duncan ’08 was selected as a First Team All-SCAC member after anchoring the team’s offensive line, while defensive end Jared Baker ’08, linebackers Peyton Woodyard ’08 and Patrick Martell ’08, and defensive back Matt Finke ’09 each earned Second Team honors.
In his first season with the football team, Finke finished among the SCAC leaders with four interceptions and added 57 tackles. Baker also was near the top of the conference leader board with 16 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. Martell added six sacks, and Woodyard finished third on the team with 56 tackles.
Quarterback Kent Bell ’09, lineman Gary Sullivan ’08, and linebacker Scooter Means ’09 also earned SCAC honorable mention honors. Means led the team in tackles for the third straight season, making 87 stops from his middle linebacker spot. Bell rushed for 316 yards and four touchdowns while throwing for two more scores.
Overall the 2007 season proved to be another step in the right direction for the Kangaroos, with three of their losses coming by seven points or less. With Hasten returning to help defend the team’s conference rushing crown, 2008 looks to be a strong season for the team.
Baseball Team Visits Hawaii for JanTerm Training
Austin College baseball coach Carl Iwasaki showed off his home state of Hawaii to his team during January Term 2008. The team spent the month training at the Central Oahu baseball fields and playing a pair of exhibition games against Hawaii Pacific University and San Diego City College.
Not only was the team able to prepare in paradise for the spring season, the players learned about the culture and history of Hawaii. Trip highlights included viewing the 30-foot surf on the North Shore of Oahu and visiting the Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. The team hiked up the Diamond Head Crater also to the Makapuu lighthouse on the east shore of Ouahu.
Some players, perhaps inspired by the trip to the North Shore, rented surfboards and learned to surf in Waikiki, while others snorkeled at the Hanauma Bay National Fish Sanctuary. Team members also paid their respects to the man who invented the game they love, visiting the grave of Alexander Cartwright, Jr., credited with founding modern baseball. The team placed a signed Austin College baseball on Cartwright’s grave.
Finally, the ’Roos enjoyed a luau on the beach, eating local foods and dancing on stage in front of hundreds of tourists.
Soccer Team Faces Tough Season
Mark Hudson’s first year as head coach of the Austin College men’s soccer team had its share of tough breaks as the team finished the season with an overall record of 2-15-1, including a 2-8 mark in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) play. However, the ’Roos finished on a bit of an upswing with both conference victories coming late in the season.
Despite the record, the ’Roos proved to be a tough and competitive team all season, with 10 defeats by a single goal and three defeats in overtime.
Austin Newman ’08 led the ’Roos throughout the season and was named Second Team All-SCAC. He finished with two goals and an assist and proved to be a dynamic threat with the ball while also helping establish Austin College as a strong defensive team.
Garrett Evans ’11 led the team with five goals, needing just 17 shots all season to tally those scores. Alex Dawson ’10 and Nate Spradlin ’08 also had solid offensive years, each scoring four goals and adding an assist. Spradlin also was an anchor of the team’s defensive unit.
John Martinez ’08 was solid in directing the offense from his midfield position, earning a team-best four assists plus a goal, while Tommy Haney ’09, Raif Smith ’10, and Josh Pollock ’10 each added a goal on the year.
Matt Dickinson ’09 picked up both victories in goal for the ’Roos and finished the year with a .700 save percentage, allowing 18 goals in his 10 appearances, and Nate Noel ’10 led the team with 57 saves in 11 appearances in goal.
Soccer Players Do Battle Against Cancer
Austin College and Centre College men’s soccer teams raised more than $5,000 in fall 2007 for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation, the world’s largest grassroots network of survivors and activists working to end breast cancer.
Austin College Coach Mark Hudson had served as assistant to Centre’s coach for five years and both had close friends who lost their lives to cancer. When Hudson took on the head coach position at Austin College, the two coaches set about to see what the two teams could accomplish toward the effort before their game in October, Breast Awareness Month.
The check for $5,300 was presented to a member of the Louisville, Kentucky, foundation office before the game at Centre. All the players wore pink armbands in support of the cause.