Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Condill and Marshall Named Student-Athletes of the Year
4/11/2006 12:00:00 AM | General
April 11, 2006
On Tuesday, two Florida Atlantic University student-athletes were recognized by the university at the annual Honors Convocation as the Male and Female Student-Athletes of the Year. Men's basketball player Fred Marshall and volleyball player Makra Condill earned the honors for the 2005-06 school year.
The distinction as top student-athlete is given annually to one male and one female athlete who represent the athletic department and Florida Atlantic well in all aspects of university life. Performance in the classroom, service in the community and displays of leadership, as well as contributions athletically, are all characteristics of the honorees.
"Fred has exemplified the term `student-athlete' throughout the 2005-06 school year," noted head basketball coach Matt Doherty. "He has mentored our younger student-athletes on and off the court in how they should and should not conduct themselves.
"In addition, Fred was one of our captains on the basketball team. His selfless play helped lead the basketball program to the best Atlantic Sun Conference record ever."
Marshall averaged 4.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game for the 2005-06 season. He started 18 games as Florida Atlantic went 14-6 in conference play, just one game out of sharing the regular season title.
In A-Sun games, Marshall averaged 5.4 points and 5.4 rebounds this season. He had career highs of 15 points against Mercer on Jan. 7 and 12 rebounds at Jacksonville on Feb. 25.
Overall in 2005-06, Marshall finished second on the team in rebounding and fourth in steals with 25. In just two years with the Owls, he totaled better than 200 points and 200 rebounds in 52 games and shot 77.0% at the free throw line.
Off the court, Marshall has spoken to high school students about the challenges of being a student-athlete in college and the opportunities that it presents. He has also participated in reading days at local elementary schools.
Marshall serves as a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), the ambassadorial body for athletes to the athletic department, university administration and the NCAA. In that role, he represented Florida Atlantic at the 2005 NCAA National Leadership Conference in Orlando, Fla.
"Fred is also involved in the Mentoring program," added Doherty. "He takes great pride in being an ambassador for the University during our travels around the country."
As a participant in the Mentoring program, Marshall spoke to business leaders in the Boca Raton community about the importance of the program and the value of their contributions in preparing student-athletes for post-graduate life.
Marshall is a 2002 graduate of The Paideia School in Atlanta, where he was named Conference Player of the Year and Second Team All-State. He attended Mesa (Ariz.) Community College for two seasons prior to enrolling at Florida Atlantic.
Marshall carries a 3.02 GPA and will graduate this summer with his Bachelor's degree in Political Science.
 Makra Condill  | |
A native of Crystal Lake, Ill, Makra Condill will earn her degree in marketing in May 2006 after a four-year volleyball career at FAU. Condill carries a 3.51 GPA and is a member of the Student-Athlete Honor Roll and the Atlantic Sun All-Academic Team.
A four-year starter as a libero, Condill broke all of FAU's defensive records during her career. As a junior, Condill was named the Atlantic Sun Libero of the Year. She finished the season with 502 digs to break the season record and recorded 36 digs in a match against Jacksonville to break the match record.
In her senior season, she led the team with 456 digs and helped guide the team to the program's best season with a 29-3 record, a conference championship and an NCAA Tournament berth.
"Makra has been a key person in orchestrating the success of the FAU volleyball team this year," said head coach Jody Brown. "She is the captain both by selection and demonstration. Makra's commitment to her team, the university and her fellow student athletes exemplify the meaning of Student-Athlete of the Year.
Finding time to volunteer in the community, Condill worked with many groups of children to discuss the importance of education and what it means to be a student-athlete. She spent time at the Boys and Girls Club, the Boca Raton library and was part of National Student Athlete Day.
A local retirement home has also benefited from Condill's giving nature. Dixie Manor holds an annual Christmas party that she has organized and raised money to host. She has been part of the activity the past three years.
On campus, she serves as the president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee which organizes community service events for the athletes and acts as the student-athletes voice to the administration.
Condill came to FAU after graduating from Prairie Ridge High School in 2002.
