Taylor and Fairley finalists for conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award
Central Dutch Athletics
PELLA— Former Central College softball Tabitha Taylor (Grimes, Dallas Center-Grimes HS) and men’s cross country/track and field runner Mark Fairley (Dubuque) have been named finalists for the American Rivers Conference’s 2017-18 Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards.
Taylor, now a Corporate Financial Accountant at Pella Corp, is one of four finalists for the Joahanna Olson Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year award. Fairley, now a graduate assistant coach for cross country and track and field at Liberty University (Va.), is one of three finalists for the Duane Schroeder Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year award.
The conference honor recognizes student-athletes who have demonstrated high levels of accomplishment and achievement in athletics and academics while also serving the community. To qualify for nomination, student-athletes must have graduated or exhausted their athletic eligibility during the year the award is given, achieve a 3.5 or better cumulative grade point average (4.0 scale) and show evidence of service and leadership.
Each league institution may nominate a male and female candidate and a group of 18 conference faculty athletic representatives determine the finalists and two award winners. Winners will be announced Tuesday, January 22.
Joining Taylor on the finalist for the women are Haley Bergan (Loras College – volleyball), Anna Strien (Luther College – softball) and Ashlyn Bagge (Wartburg College – cross country/track and field).
Fairley is listed with Timothy Sevcik (Loras College – cross country/track and field) and Nate Woeste (Wartburg College – basketball).
A four-year letterwinner and softball team captain, Taylor earned all-conference honors once. She finished her career with a .341 batting average in 457 at-bats. She played in 161 games, 150 in which she started. Taylor compiled 156 hits, driving in 95 RBI, scoring 95 runs while tacking on 34 stolen bases.
Twice, Taylor was honored as a College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District pick. Also a three-time Academic all-conference winner, Taylor landed four Easton/NFCA All-American Scholar-Athlete awards.
Taylor actively volunteered at organizations such as the Marion County Humane Society, The Well Resource Center, Oskaloosa YMCA, First Federated Church and Meals from the Heartland. She also took part in a service trip to Mission, Texas with Central College Campus Ministries.
On the track, Fairley was the 2018 NCAA Division III national champion in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. He also earned All-American honors in the event in 2017. A four-time national qualifier in cross country, he earned All-American honors with a 26th-place finish in 2017. At the conference level, Fairley had 16 all-league performances across cross country, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field.
Fairley is a NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipient who received CoSIDA Academic All-American honors in 2018. He also was named CoSIDA Academic All-District twice, Academic all-conference six times and USTFCCCA All-Academic seven times.
His community service included leadership roles within Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and volunteering in Central College Service Days and the cross country team’s service projects. Fairley also volunteered at the Child and Family Urban Ministries’ breakfast club, the Klompen Classic 5K road race, Crossroads Day camp, Courage League Sports andSpecial Olympics
Central has had three student-athletes receive the Duane Schroeder Award in its 17-year history. Riley Gray (football) was the 2016-17 recipient and was preceded by Kyle Frieschlag (men’s tennis) in 2013-14 and Adam Duerfeldt (baseball) in 2005-06. Central has also had two Johanna Olson Scholar-Athlete of the Year award winners: Jill (Ziskovsy) Halcomb (track and field) won in in 2010-11. Raegan (Schultz) Wagner (volleyball, track and field) received the honor in 2003-04.
