Sherman, Texas -- The Austin College Athletics Department and the Alumni “A” Athletics Association Board inducted honorees into the Austin College Athletics Hall of Honor on Saturday, July 26, at the annual Legends Weekend event. Austin College Legends are nominated and selected based on their athletic record while playing for the ’Roos and for showing excellence in their community and profession.
This year the College recognized and inducted the 1976 Softball Team into the Hall of Honor. Though they may not have realized it at the time, the members of the 1976 Softball Team were instrumental in setting the foundation for increasing women's participation in team sports. Division III College athletics have the potential to increase the interest of women in any institution of higher learning, and can draw more female students who play for the love of the sport while receiving a high-quality education. The members of the inaugural softball team opened the door for all future Austin College women’s athletics programs.
Other new members of the Hall of Honor inductees include:
Walker Fenci ’90
Walker Fenci graduated from Austin College in 1990, having played four years of football for the ’Roos. He was named TIAA Academic All-Conference in 1987, 1988, 1989, and 1990, and an NAIA Academic All-American in 1989 and 1990. Fenci was a member of the 1988 ’Roos football team that became the TIAA Conference Champions, and the 1990 ’Roos team that qualified for the NAIA National Playoffs. He finished off his time as a ’Roo by setting the TIAA conference record for interceptions in a single game, with four.
Bryce Frank ’19
SCAC Newcomer of the Year was the first of many accolades Bryce Frank would receive during her four years in Austin College women’s basketball. She went on to be named the SCAC Player of the Year twice and SCAC Player of the Week nearly a dozen times. Frank ranks in the top five in SCAC history in both scoring and rebounding, and her senior season led the nation in double-doubles. In Austin College's NCAA era, she competed in a Division III All-Star Game and ranked second in scoring, third in rebounds, and fifth in assists.
Barry Holcomb ’92
Barry Holcomb graduated from Austin College in 1992 with a degree in computer science. He was a member of the ’Roo swim team all four years, and all four years he was an NAIA Swimming National Qualifier. Holcomb was named MVP of Austin College Men’s Swimming in 1991, and an Honorable Mention All-American in 1992. He continues to swim through his involvement with Missouri Masters Swimming.
Marc Parrish ’92
Marc Parrish is a Sumners Scholar who graduated cum laude from Austin College in 1992, with double majors in International Studies and Spanish. While at AC, Parrish played two very successful years of tennis. In 1989, he was named Second Team TIAA All-Conference, and in 1990, he was named First Team TIAA All-Conference, First Team NAIA All-District, First Team TIAA Academic All-Conference, and was presented with the Carroll Pickett MVP Award.
Anthony Patrick ’87
Anthony Patrick graduated from Austin College in 1987, with a degree in Business Management. He played football for the ’Roos all four years. Patrick was a member of the 1984 TIAA Champion team and the 1985 TIAA Co-Champion team. Individually, he was named TIAA 2nd Team All-Conference and TIAA Academic All-Conference in 1985, and 1st Team All-Conference and Academic All-Conference in 1986. The same year, he was also named NAIA Division II Honorable Mention All-American and Division II Academic All-American.
Jon Stein ’00, M.A.T. ’01
Jon Stein graduated from Austin College in 2000 with a degree in Exercise & Sport Science, and completed the MAT program in 2001. He enjoyed four very successful years of college tennis, receiving the Carroll Pickett MVP Award three times and Academic All-Conference honors in 1998 through 2000, among several other accolades. Stein has coached at McKinney North High School for nearly 25 years. In that time, he has been named UIL District Tennis Coach of the year 15 times.
Carl Iwasaki (Honorary)
Carl Iwasaki earned 103 victories as head baseball coach, including 22 during the 2007 season, in which he led the ’Roos to a conference title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. In his six years as Austin College's head coach, he was twice named the conference's Coach of the Year. Iwasaki won 44 conference games during his time at Austin College, while coaching 11 players to All-ASC recognition, 16 to All-SCAC honors, and two to All-West Region distinction.
The College also awarded the Coach Joe Spencer Award for Meritorious Service and Lifetime
Achievement in Coaching to Brian McKamy ’78, MAT ’79. McKamy has served several Texas school districts as a teacher and coach during his career, including Texarkana, Mesquite, Forney, Cooper, Daingerfield, and Caddo Mills. He was named District Coach of the year by Cooper High School in 1986, 1988, and 1989, and by Daingerfield High School in 1996. McKamy also taught Sunday School for over two decades, and for 15 years he sponsored the Fellowship of Christian Athletes organization—a faith-based nonprofit with a mission of reaching athletes and coaches with the message of Jesus Christ.
Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, pre-professional foundations, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 44 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 50 percent of students identifying as persons of color. The residential student body of approximately 1,300 students and an expert faculty of more than 100 educators allow an 11:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. Related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA), Austin College cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. The College, founded in 1849, is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.
