Kasey Hairell, Texas Lutheran University, Women's Basketball

KASEY HAIRELL OF TEXAS LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY, a senior on the women's basketball team from Hallettsville, Texas, has been selected the SCAC Character & Community Female Student-Athlete of the Week for the week beginning February 10.

The SCAC Character & Community award honors the efforts of student-athletes who excel in the field of athletics, and also serve their campus and community.



Hairell, a senior forward, is a key reserve for the Bulldogs. She has been an important part of the women’s basketball team for three years. She has made a successful return to the Bulldogs’ lineup after hurting her knee in the second game of her sophomore season.

In the year following her medical hardship, Hairell was a key contributor on the Bulldogs’ 2018-19 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship and NCAA Division III Championship tournament qualifier.

TLU won the conference tournament championship on the Bulldogs’ home floor in Memorial Gymnasium.

“It was great to have all of our family here,” said Hairell, who had seven points and a team-high nine rebounds in the championship game victory over Trinity. “Everybody came out to support us, not only our family but out TLU community. We had faculty and students. It was really great to celebrate with all of friends and family.”

In her senior season, Hairell averages 8.0 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. She is shooting 44.9 percent from the floor. Hairell had a season-best 18 points and 13 rebounds earlier this year in a home win over Sul Ross State.

“(Playing basketball at TLU) has been everything I could ever ask for,” said Hairell. “In high school, I always had the dream of playing college basketball, so the fact that Coach (Mel) Dixon was able to give me that dream I’ve really been grateful for it. It’s been a great ride here.”

Hairell serves as the TLU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee president, and she has worked with and coordinated efforts for the organization’s community service efforts in the Seguin community.

“It’s been really good because we’ve been able to get more involved with our community, with the Seguin community,” said Hairell. “We partake in the ‘Take A Coat, Leave A Coat, and Give A Coat’ program to where on cold days the business leaves out a rack of jackets so that anybody that needs a coat can take a coat, no questions asked.”

“They just come and take it as they please. If you have any extra coats, you can take it to (the business), and they will put it on the rack as well.”

The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee also has been active in collecting food items for local food pantries.

“Here recently we collected 280 pounds of food for the food pantry, for The Christian Cupboard, and with that they give the food to the local residents who need food or anything that they aren’t able to buy at the stores.”

Hairell is kinesiology (exercise science) major, and she will graduate from TLU in May 2020. She plans to attend graduate school and earn her master’s degree in athletic training. Long term, she hopes to be an athletic trainer in the National Football League or for another professional sports franchise. In the short term, she plans to stay at the collegiate level to be an athletic trainer.