LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. -- Garner Burford of Schreiner University and Kristen Liberty of Colorado College have been selected as the SCAC Male and Female Character & Community Student-Athletes of the Week, respectively, for the week ending Sunday, November 17.
The SCAC Character & Community award was created in 2009 to
honor and recognize the efforts of the
extraordinary student-athletes of the conference who not
only excel athletically on the field, course, court, pool or
track, but also by serving their campus and community.
To view past winners of the award, click here.
GARNER BURFORD OF SCHREINER
UNIVERSITY, a junior defender on the
men's soccer team, has been selected the SCAC Character &
Community Male Student-Athlete-of-the-Week for the week ending
Sunday, November 17.
A native of Corpus Christi, Texas, Burford has been a defensive
captain and stalwart on Schreiner's back line but took a big step
forward in his play this fall. He was recently named All-SCAC
(Honorable Mention) for his outstanding play.
Away from the pitch, Burford has been a consistent helper for the
Kerrville area Food Bank, which helps more than 150 area families
each month. He has also worked as a volunteer at the Kerrville
Triathalon each of his three years at Schreiner. He works in both
setup and cleanup for the annual Texas Heritage Festival which
attracts grade school children from throughout the region. He
has also served as a peer advisor on campus with incoming
freshmen.
Burford, an Information Systems Major, has earned academic
distinction each semester and been a multiple President's List
honoree in his first two years on campus.
KRISTEN LIBERTY OF COLORADO COLLEGE, a junior
middle and outside hitter on the women's volleyball team from
Dallas, Texas, has been selected the SCAC Character & Community
Female Student-Athlete-of-the-Week for the week ending November 17,
2013.
When Colorado College dedicated the El Pomar Fitness Center and
the Adam F. Press Fitness Center on May 3, 2012, it came as no
surprise that Liberty was selected to speak on behalf of the
college’s student-athletes.
Though only a sophomore at the time, Liberty was perfectly at ease
and delivered a superb performance in what for many others could
have been a very stressful situation.
Addressing a group of dignitaries and donors that included some of
the most influential leaders from the college as well as the city
of Colorado Springs, Liberty impressed everyone in attendance with
her heart-felt remarks that were delivered without the benefit of
notes.
But coming through in the clutch is nothing new for the junior
captain of CC’s nationally-ranked volleyball team which
recently made its 16th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.
During her first three seasons, Liberty has helped the Tigers post
a 91-22 overall record and a 33-5 mark in Southern Collegiate
Athletic Conference play.
One of her most memorable performances occurred during the final
set of the 2012 SCAC Championship against Trinity at Reid Arena.
With her team trailing 23-21 in the third set, Liberty smashed a
pair of kills, blocked a shot and then had the assist on Kate
Squire’s title-clinching spike.
Her leadership was especially important this season when Colorado
College had no seniors and only two juniors among its primary
11-player rotation.
The young squad followed Liberty’s example and finished the
2013 campaign with a 35-5 record, the second most victories in a
single season that was first set in 1983 and equaled for a second
time in 2009.
While Liberty’s leadership has been an integral part of the
team’s success, those skills are not confined to the
court.
For the last two years, Liberty has volunteered with the
Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center’s Adaptive Ski &
Ride School, teaching mentally and physically disabled people to
ski and snowboard.
An avid backpacker, she also is trained as a Wilderness First
Responder (WFR).
Liberty has served as a tournament director for Rocky Mountain
Region USA Volleyball tournaments that have used Colorado
College’s facilities, and coached on a volunteer basis with
Team Colorado and at CC’s summer volleyball camps.
With the conclusion of the 2013 volleyball season, Liberty will
begin working as a volunteer at Planned Parenthood.
A neuroscience major with a 3.3 grade-point average, Liberty is on
a pre-nursing track and plans to pursue a career as a mental health
nurse practitioner focusing on therapy work with young adults.