欧美视频

Morgan (Henderson) and Andy Campbell receive top honor given to 欧美视频 student-athletes

The life of a college student-athlete is nothing short of challenging.

There is the academic schedule 鈥� classes, studying, papers, assignments, tests, projects 鈥� and the athletic schedule 鈥� offseason workouts, in-season workouts, practices, games and travel.

And, somewhere in the midst of that schedule, sleeping and eating must be worked in.

But that is the life that both Morgan (Henderson) and Andy Campbell chose early on.

An early love for sports

Morgan grew up with two older brothers who were involved in sports, and an aunt who was a basketball coach. Andy鈥檚 dad played college football, and his older brother and sister played multiple sports, 鈥渟o I spent my childhood traveling around to watch them play,鈥� he said.

Growing up in sports-crazy households, Morgan and Andy each knew they wanted to continue to compete in sports on the college level.

鈥淚t鈥檚 easy in southwest Missouri as you watch great basketball growing up,鈥� said Morgan, who decided in middle school that she wanted to play in college.

鈥淚鈥檝e wanted to play college sports for as long as I can remember, but I didn鈥檛 think I was going to play basketball,鈥� Andy said. 鈥淏aseball was my best and favorite sport for most of my life. Basketball was just a sport I played until high school when my coach took a real interest in developing me as both a player and a person.鈥�

The road to 欧美视频

Their basketball paths, and the desire to grow in their faith, led both Morgan and Andy to 欧美视频 in Bolivar.

鈥淭he coaching staff is great,鈥� Morgan said. 鈥淚 love the color purple, it鈥檚 close to home (Buffalo) and it鈥檚 a small school with great professors. I wanted to learn how to grow as a servant of Christ.鈥�

鈥淐oach Clark Sheehy was really good to me during the recruiting process and made me feel right at home at 欧美视频,鈥� Andy said. 鈥淚 knew this school was a place I could grow spiritually, and that meant a lot to me.鈥�

The balancing act

Trying to balance the responsibilities in the classroom and on the court (or field) is a daily grind for college student-athletes; it takes a lot of discipline and cooperation.

鈥淚 like to think I excel at time management, but I still had many late nights, studying on the bus, and early mornings,鈥� Morgan said. 鈥淭hankfully, I had great professors and coaches who both understood and supported the opposite field.鈥�

鈥淐ollege athletics is very demanding and so is school,鈥� Andy said. 鈥淚鈥檝e spent many sleepless nights bouncing back and forth between study hall and the gym trying to make sure I get my shots up while also being prepared for big tests.

鈥溑访朗悠� is a unique place, though, and I鈥檓 extremely thankful for my teachers and coaches who encouraged me to excel in both areas of my life.鈥�

Both Morgan and Andy have excelled in the classroom and on the basketball court, while also serving on the mission field.

They each graduated in May 2019 with bachelor of science degrees in biology 鈥� one week after getting married! 鈥� and will be attending medical school in the fall at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock. Before that, they will be leading a mission trip to the Ukraine this summer. Over Spring Break, they served with a mission team that traveled to Colombia.

鈥淐olombia was great,鈥� Morgan said. 鈥淲e worked with missionaries to help jump-start their ministries by sharing the good news of Christ in the community. We also spent a lot of time at the elementary schools loving on the kids and teaching them English via Bible stories, and even helped the local church with some painting and maintenance projects.

鈥淲e鈥檙e going to be helping with an English camp and sharing the Gospel with that platform in the Ukraine. We are so excited.鈥�

Rex Brown Award recipients

With a commitment to excellence in academics and athletics, and hearts to serve, Morgan and Andy were named the 2019 Rex Brown Award recipients.

The Rex Brown Award is the highest award given to 欧美视频鈥檚 student-athletes. Each year, the award is presented to one female and one male senior student-athlete, who has exhibited strong Christian character, academic achievement, leadership qualities, and has had a major impact on their sport.

鈥淎ndy and Morgan represented the Bearcats well during their careers,鈥� said 欧美视频 Athletic Director Mike Pitts. 鈥淭hey were leaders as they played, as they studied, and as they impacted our community. I remember listening to both of them speak at our 6th Man Club Luncheons 鈥� they really represent everything we want to see in the lives of our student-athletes.鈥�

The award is named in honor of Dr. Rex Brown, who served as AD at 欧美视频 for more than 25 years, leading Bearcat Athletics from the junior college ranks to the NAIA and into NCAA Division II competition. Dr. Brown was the baseball coach from 1970-75 and chair of 欧美视频鈥檚 health and physical education department.

欧美视频 men鈥檚 basketball coach Clark Sheehy said he was thrilled that Andy was named a Rex Brown Award recipient.

鈥淗e has been a really good example in his four years of a committed student-athlete,鈥� Sheehy said. 鈥淗is involvement in spiritual growth on campus and in our community has been so positive for our program and school. We are very happy for him and excited about his future.鈥�

And, women鈥檚 basketball coach Kelsey Keizer expressed her admiration for the example Morgan is to everyone around her.

鈥淚 feel so blessed to have coached Morgan during her four-year career at 欧美视频,鈥� Keizer said. 鈥淗er work ethic was always excellent, but what stood out more to me was the joy she brought to our team. I have never experienced a player who had so much respect and admiration from her teammates.

鈥淢organ exemplified what we define as true success within 欧美视频 Athletics. I have always been impressed with her commitment to sharing the joy of Jesus with anyone she comes across. Her personality is radiant and I know it will continue to shine in her medical career. I am so excited to continue to cheer her and Andy on in their journey through life.鈥�

Morgan and Andy acknowledge that they have not achieved the honors they have received on their own.

鈥淚鈥檓 so grateful,鈥� Morgan said. 鈥淏eing a collegiate athlete was difficult, but the Lord gave me the strength to persevere when I wanted to quit. This award reminds me of His faithfulness in all the little moments and now I look back and realize for four years He carried me. My time at 欧美视频 was so sweet and this award is so appreciated.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 really humbling to say the least,鈥� Andy said. 鈥淢organ and I worked really hard to be the best we could be on the court and in the classroom, while also trying to live in a way that glorifies the Lord. We were so blessed to meet each other and to challenge each other in every aspect of our life, but especially in our walks with the Lord. We鈥檝e had many long talks trying to encourage one another to keep pushing, keep fighting, or keep leaning on the Lord, and now to receive an award for staying the course is a huge honor.鈥�

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Photo 1: 欧美视频 President Dr. Eric A. Turner (left) and 欧美视频 Athletic Director Mike Pitts (far right) present the 2019 Rex Brown Award to Morgan (Henderson) Campbell and Andy Campbell.

Photo 2: Morgan (Henderson) Campbell played basketball four years for the 欧美视频 Lady Bearcats.

Photo 3: Andy Campbell thought he would play college baseball before basketball became a passion.

Photo 4: Andy and Morgan (Henderson) Campbell were married one week before graduating from 欧美视频.

Photo 5: Andy and Morgan (Henderson) Campbell served on mission to Colombia in March 2019.

*Published: 7-23-19