RICHARDSON, Texas - Dedication to service within their campus and local communities was recognized by the American Southwest Conference Directors of Athletics who selected Madison Fatheree of McMurry University and Gunner Gardner of Sul Ross State University as the 2016-17 Community Service Athletes of the Year.

The ASC Community Service Athlete of the Year Award is presented for the ninth time this year and honors a male and female student-athlete who best displays leadership and action in fostering community service on their campus and local community. Each ASC member institution has the opportunity to nominate student-athletes to the conference-wide ballot.

A graduate in biomedical science and chemistry and a member of the War Hawk volleyball team, Fatheree (Pampa, Texas) is two-time recipient of the McMurry Athletics Coach Neel Heart of a War Hawk award in recognition for service to campus and community (2016-17, 2015-16). Her volunteer work during the 2016-17 year included Meals on Wheels and its Clay Shoot fundraiser; Disabilities Resource Incorporated Pumpkin Patch fundraiser; and McMurry War Hawk Wednesdays at Rose Park Adaptive Recreation. On campus, Fatheree was involved with Fellowship of Christian Athletes and assisted the NCAA Division III Week sports clinic for special needs individuals. She is a member of the McMurry Campus Activities Board and served as a student orientation leader and peer leader. Fatheree was a four-year volleyball letter winner and served as a team co-captain.

"Madison (Fatheree) models our service core value and has made a meaningful impact on both the Abilene and McMurry communities through her work," McMurry Director of Athletics Sam Ferguson said. "Madison is a true Champion for Life who enjoys helping people, and we know she will continue adding value to the lives of others, regardless of where her career takes her."

Gardner (Granger, Texas) has been an active campus and community service leader throughout his Sul Ross State career. A graduate with a degree in history and a member of the tennis team, Gardner was a regular volunteer at the West Texas Food Bank and served as president of the Rotaract Club of Alpine (a division of Rotary International) organizing fundraisers to support persons affected by the Nepal earthquake and the Flint, Mich., water crisis as well as projects through the Breast Cancer Research Foundation; the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation/Polio Plus Foundation, Paris Peace Fund and Domestic Violence Awareness Month. He created the Paper Poppy Project planting more than 100 paper poppies to honor local veterans on Veterans Day. A Student-Athlete Advisory Committee member, Gardner was involved in numerous events for SRSU student Zuzu Verk, including a prayer vigil, campus decorating and memorial service, and helped raise over $1,400 for her family and the Equisearch Team.

"Gunner played an integral role in working for the success of several projects with the SAAC committee, campus and Alpine-area organizations," Sul Ross State Assistant Director of Athletics Sandra Chambers said. "Thanks to his hard work, initiatives such as supporting earthquake victims in Nepal and the Verk family were successful and examples of campus-community teamwork in helping others."

In addition to the community service work completed by Fatheree and Gardner, an impressive list of projects undertaken and organizations assisted was compiled by the student-athletes nominated by their institution for the conference Community Service Athlete of the Year award.

"The amount of involvement by the award nominees and their fellow student-athletes over the course of the year is remarkable, and our member campuses and communities benefit from the interest the student-athletes have in bettering lives of others," said Amy Carlton, ASC commissioner.


2016-17 ASC Community Service Award Nominees
Biographical information provided by each student-athletes' sports information director

Men

Cason Adams	Baseball	Sr.	Texas-Tyler
Cason Adams served the community by spending time volunteering with the East Texas Food Bank, Day at the Ballpark with Innovation Academy, reading to Innovation Academy Students, working at the First United Methodist Octoberfest and he spoke to Jack Elementary students before their STAAR Test to help motivate them.
Chad Anders	Baseball	Sr.	Howard Payne
Chad Anders is involved in leadership with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, serving as HPU campus president. Anders visited local high schools speaking to student-athletes. He served as a mentor at East Elementary in Brownwood and worked through Coggin Avenue Baptist Church fixing the playground at East Elementary. He helped with the Empty Bowls project to benefit local charity Good Samaritan Ministries' food pantry. Anders assisted with the HPU baseball team supplies drive to benefit Louisiana flood victims.
Chris Baker	Baseball	Jr.	McMurry
Chris Baker earned the McMurry Athletics 2016-17 Coach Neel Heart of a War Hawk award in recognition for service to campus and community. His volunteerism and involvement includes Fellowship of Christian Athletes; "War Hawk Wednesdays;" McMurry Sports Clinic for special needs individuals; Love and Care Ministries soup kitchen, clothes drive and food truck; Aldersgate United Methodist Church summer youth Sunday School; volunteer for youth baseball hitting lessons.
William Dunn	Golf	So.	Belhaven
William Dunn quietly modeled service and hard work as a member of the golf team and the community. A member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Dunn volunteered time at New Summit School and was instrumental in the planning of the Division III Week Campus Talent Show.
Anthony Franklin	Football	Jr.	Hardin-Simmons
Anthony Franklin is an active member of Hardin-Simmons football in the community, assisting with the Cowboys and Kids program with students at Ortiz Elementary. He is also active with Special Olympics, Hoops for Heart and Jump Rope for Heart programs, and helped with the STAAR Pep Rallies.
Layne Garcia	Soccer, Track and Field	Jr.	Univ. of the Ozarks
As president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Layne Garcia spearheaded the NCAA Division III Week activity on campus organizing a day of fun for students from Clarksville's self-contained classrooms. Garcia was a mentor for the Fun Day, playing field games and eating lunch with the students. He assisted the competitive cheer team collecting Christmas gifts for Johnson County's Helping Hands Women's Shelter and Family Service Center.
Gunner Gardner	Tennis	Sr.	Sul Ross State
Gunner Gardner has been an active campus and community service leader with participation in numerous Alpine-area activities, including the West Texas Food Bank, Rotaract Club of Alpine, fundraising projects and social awareness campaigns.
Sam Konstanty	Soccer	Sr.	Texas Dallas
Sam Konstanty, a member of the Texas Dallas Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Campus Outreach, Tau Beta Pi and the Philosopher's Society, assisted in the University-produced public service announcement for Comet Voice and the "It's On Us!" campaign. He assisted with toy drives for the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center, adopted "Angels" from Hope's Door, and coordinated canned food drives for Minnie's Pantry.
Ramori Mendez	Cross Country, Track & Field	Sr.	East Texas Baptist
Ramiro Mendez took on a single project for the East Texas Baptist Athletic Department for NCAA Division III Week, managing a Samaritan's Feet campaign to provide new shoes and socks to Marshall, Texas, elementary school students. Mendez spent over six months with fundraising, coordinating and marketing the event during basketball season, raising $1,800 and providing over 60 new pairs of shoes and socks to children. Mendez volunteers at Dayspring Therapeutic Equestrian Center and Immanuel Baptist Church.
Kiefer Moore	Baseball	Sr.	Louisiana College
Kiefer Moore has taken part in numerous community service projects, including serving as an escort for Threads Cancer Survivor Fashion Show; feeding the homeless at the HUB (Shreveport, La.); recreational activities participant with the residents of Holy Angels (Shreveport, La.); regular blood donor for Lifeshare; volunteer with Louisiana College baseball camps; and assisting with tree plantings at a local tree farm.
Justin Traxler	Baseball	Jr.	Concordia Texas
Justin Traxler spent countless hours working with Special Olympics Texas in Austin, organizing meetings with the directors to focus on creating closer ties between Concordia Texas Athletics Department and SOT He took on the task of putting Concordia Texas solely in charge of running the SOT Flag Football tournament and trained the Concordia Texas athletes on how to keep score, referee and participate with the Special Olympians.

Women

Stephanie Alderson	Cross Country, Track & Field	Jr.	Univ. of the Ozarks
Stephanie Alderson volunteered as a Salvation Army bell ringer, assisted at Needy Paws Animal Shelter and spent time with local students during Ozarks' Division III Week Field Day. She assisted with the campus All-Star Basketball Classic; served as a counselor at the Royal Family Kids Camp; worked the Christian Pinecrest "Day ONE" Camp as a team leader. Alderson has volunteered at local FCA Junior and Senior High Camps and chaperoned for Youth America activities.
Lizzie Duffy	Cross Country	Sr.	LeTourneau
Lizzie Duffy volunteers for a variety of LeTourneau campus activities, including service as a student ambassador and assistance in planning and organizing student orientation events. A member of SAAC, Duffy took part in Keep Longview Beautiful and Longview Green and Clean Days in addition to Special Olympics and volunteering time each week at the Boys and Girls Club to help kids with homework after school. A member of New Beginnings Baptist Church, she was a college ministry leadership team member.
Madison Fatheree	Volleyball	Sr.	McMurry
Madison Fatheree is a two-time recipient of the McMurry Athletics Coach Neel Heart of a War Hawk award in recognition for service to campus and community. Her volunteer/service work includes a variety of initiatives including Meals on Wheels; Disabilities Resource Incorporated "Pumpkin Patch;" "War Hawk Wednesdays;" McMurry Orientation Leader and University Peer Leader; and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Shelby Franco	Soccer	Fr.	Concordia Texas
Shelby Franco has completed much of her community service activitiesout of the spotlight. She has devoted a couple hours a week consistently to Brookedale Assisted Living where she participated in arts and crafts and played games with the community while getting to know the older citizens.
Candler Gregory	Basketball	Sr.	Belhaven
Candler Gregory took time to serve others within and around the Belhaven community in numerous ways. She was the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee president for two years, led Bible studies for local high girls, tutored chemistry students on campus, and earned over 500 patient care hours in preparation for graduate school.
Lauren McLeod	Softball	Sr.	Texas Dallas
Lauren McLeod helped organize and oversee numerous activities that resulted in over 3,000 community service hours among the Texas Dallas student-athletes. Coordinating with Special Olympics Texas, Dallas Children's Advocacy Center and Hope's Door, McLeod provided opportunities for other UTD teams to serve and her softball team has won the department community service award two years in a row. Under her leadership, community service activity within the UTD Athletics Department has increased.
Kirsten Parrish	Soccer	Jr.	Hardin-Simmons
Kirsten Parrish is one of the top volunteers on the Hardin-Simmons campus and in the community. Parrish is a leader in the HSU FCA chapter, is a Big Sister for Big Brothers/Big Sisters, is a member of the HSU Chapter of Gamma Beta Phi service society and is nursery and youth volunteer at Southside Baptist Church.
Kierin Stevens	Softball	Sr.	Texas-Tyler
KK Stevens served as the president of the UT Tyler Student Athlete Advisory Committee and planned and ran the organization's Special Olympics with Swoop project. Under her leadership, she planned the Favorite Faculty Breakfast and volunteered at the East Texas Food Bank, the Kiwanis Turkey Shoot, the Boys and Girls Club of East Texas Kids' Day, the Patriot Academy Physical Education Class, the Hope Tree Adult Assisted Living Center and at the Salem Montessori School.
Abby Weaver	Volleyball	Jr.	East Texas Baptist
Abby Weaver led the Fellowship of Christian Athletes group on campus and set-up and led FCA camps around East Texas along with arranging speakers for the East Texas Baptist FCA chapter. Weaver has volunteered at Oak Ridge Assisted Living Center, Dayspring Therapeutic Equestrian Center and helped coach the Dallas-area Victory club volleyball team through clinics and practices, drills, and lessons. Weaver is a long-time volunteer with Pine Cove Christian Camps and regularly assists with Vacation Bible School and the nursery at her church.

ASC Annual Community Service Athlete of the Year Award Recipients

Year	Male	Female
2008-09	Brandon Pierson, Ozarks	Lea Rana, Ozarks
2009-10	Michael Cucinotta, East Texas Baptist (co)	Kaela Parnell, Hardin-Simmons
	Seth Lynn, Mary Hardin-Baylor (co)
2010-11	Max Taylor, Mary Hardin-Baylor	Kaitlyn McCanna, Texas Lutheran
2011-12	James Fugate, East Texas Baptist	Yvonne Castillo, Texas Lutheran
2012-13	Spencer Turner, Mary Hardin-Baylor	Dalaine Whitlock, Concordia Texas
2013-14	Andrew Cummings, Ozarks	Whitney Lewis, Ozarks (co)
		Caitlin Cronan, Texas-Tyler (co)
2014-15	Brand Bignar, Louisiana College (tri)	Kayla Hines, McMurry (co)
	Nicolas Larzabal, East Texas Baptist (tri)	Chelsea Sartor, Texas Dallas (co)
	Zakk Revelle, Sul Ross State (tri)
2015-16	Xavier McFalls, Howard Payne	Jade Johnson, Louisiana College
2016-17	Gunner Gardner, Sul Ross State	Madison Fatheree, McMurry