DALLAS, Texas – Hardin-Simmons women’s soccer defender Mercy Mummert was voted ASC Woman of the Year, while East Texas Baptist men’s tennis player Slade Austin was voted ASC Man of the Year for the 2024-25 season.
 
The annual conference awards, ASC Man and Woman of the Year honors is presented to a graduating student-athlete who has distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate career in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, community and campus service, and leadership. Selected by the Council of Senior Woman Administrators, the Man and Woman of the Year awards are among the highest individual honors presented to a student in the Conference.
 
Mummert will be the conference’s representative for the NCAA Woman of the Year award. In addition, Austin and Mummert advance as the ASC nominees for the region and national Division III Man and Woman of the Year awards to be selected by the Division III Commissioners Association. This is the fourth year the ASC Man of the Year Award has been given.
  Mummert, a senior defender with the women’s soccer team, graduated with a 4.0 GPA with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Biology with minors in Exercise Science and Honors in Interdisciplinary Studies. A native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Mummert was a five-time All-ASC First Team Selection, a five-time Academic All-ASC honoree, a three-time Academic All-American Selection and a four-time CSC Academic All-District honoree. She was also a two-time ASC Scholar-Athlete Medal of Honor recipient and the 2021 ASC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete for women’s soccer. Mummert was selected to be a member of the 2025 USA D-3 women’s soccer Brazil Tour. In 2023, she was named First Team USC All-Region X and was on the ASC All-Tournament Team. Her latest effort in 2024 helped guide the Cowgirls to their third NCAA Tournament appearance and fourth ASC Championship in her career. In the 2024 season, Mummert led the Cowgirl backline as they held a .742 goals against average in 21 games with 12 shutouts.
 
Mummert got involved on campus and community during her career at HSU. She helped kickstart “Grape Street Cares”, selling shirts to raise money for Love and Care Ministries, raising enough this fall to give 29 kids meals on weekends for the entire school year. Mummert also organized community service with her soccer team through Love and Care Ministry, packing care packages and sorting donations. She has also volunteered with West Texas Rehab Center, Hendrick Center for Rehabilitation and Action Physical Therapy Rehab. Mummert was in the Julius Olsen Honors Program and was a member of the Pre-PT Club at HSU. She also volunteered in a Parkinson’s Exercise Group and at Joni and Friends New Mexico Family Retreat. Mummert’s leadership has also shined during her time at HSU. She was a three-time team captain, was a representative in SAAC for three-years and served as Vice President of SAAC in 2024. Mummert also participated in the Student Activities Board for four years, was an Assistant Coach at HSU’s Kids Soccer Camps and Texas A&M’s Kids Soccer Camps and was a Sting Soccer Club Little Stingers Coach.
 
Mummert has played five seasons with the Cowgirls, starting in all 87 games she played. She recorded a total of 7,215 minutes on the field and contributed to 55 shutouts. During her career, the Cowgirls went 67-11-10 for an .818 winning percentage. In 2023, Mummert helped HSU to the NCAA Sweet 16 Round as she led the Cowgirls defense to a .50 goals against average. Through her career, she has totaled three goals, each being a game-winner, while adding 16 assists for 22 total points.
  Austin, a graduate student with the men’s tennis program, holds a 4.00 GPA while pursuing a Master of Business Administration. The Arlington, Texas native graduated in 2024 with a 3.82 GPA with a Bachelor of Business Administration with minors in Finance and Accounting and was Magna Cum Laude. Austin was the 2025 ASC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete for Tennis, a four-time Academic All-ASC selection, a CSC Academic All-District selection in 2024, a four-time ITA Scholar-Athlete and a three-time ITA Team Academic Award recipient. He was a two-time All-ASC Doubles Flight 3 Selection, a 2023 All-ASC East Division Doubles Flight 3 selection, a 2023 All-ASC East Division Second Team Singles Flight 6 honoree and a 2022 All-ASC East Division Second Team Doubles Flight 1 selection. During his time at ETBU, Austin was on the President’s List from 2021-2025, was a part of the Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society and the CMS Program Scholarship Institute of Manage Accountants. He helped the Tigers to their first ASC Men’s Tennis Championship title this season and earned their first trip to the NCAA Championship Tournament.
 
Austin was active on campus and in the community during his time at ETBU. He assisted with the Community Tennis Clinic in Wills Point and participated in Operation Christmas Child all four years. Austin volunteered with tornado cleanup in Gilmer, at Mission Marshall, at Mission Arlington and at the Pet Place helping animals. He also assisted at the Marshall Trunk or Treat Event and participated in ETBU Serve Day. On campus, he was a four-year member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, a Resident Assistant of Fry Hall and a Resident Manager in the ETBU dorms. Austin’s leadership stood out as he was the team captain of the Tennis Team and was a Resident Director for Fry Hall.
 
Austin has played four seasons with ETBU. This season he went 8-8 in singles and 14-2 in doubles, ranking first for doubles wins in the conference and second in program history. Austin’s doubles wins came in a 13-match winning streak as he guided the Tigers to their first ever Conference Title and NCAA appearance. In 2024, Austin went 12-5 in singles and 9-3 in doubles to help ETBU to the program’s first ASC East Division Regular Season Championship Title. That year the Tigers were ASC Tournament runners-up, and he earned All-Tournament Team honors. In 2023, Austin helped the team to a program-high of 10 matches won. The Tigers qualified for the ASC Championship Tournament all four years of Austin’s career.
  2024-25 Man and Woman of the Year Nominees
Graduating student-athletes nominated by their institution for the ASC Man and Woman of the Year award.

# Award Recipient  

Women
# Mercy Mummert – Women’s Soccer, Hardin-Simmons
Mary Frances Ellis – Softball, East Texas Baptist
Elizabeth Moreau – Tennis, LeTourneau
Sofia Trevino – Golf, UT Dallas
 
Men
# Slade Austin – Tennis, East Texas Baptist
Austin Brewer – Basketball, Hardin-Simmons
Seth Bowman – Baseball, Howard Payne
Caedmon Liebengood – Basketball, LeTourneau
Dylan Collins – Baseball, UT Dallas