McNeese’s Gonzales & UIW’s Marrone Awarded F.L. McDonald Scholarships
FRISCO, Texas – McNeese baseball student-athlete Julian Gonzales and UIW cross country/track & field student-athlete Madeline Marrone have been awarded the 2022 F.L. McDonald Postgraduate Scholarships, Southland Commissioner Chris Grant announced Wednesday.
The F.L. McDonald Scholarship is the league’s ultimate academic honor for graduating student-athletes. The award is presented annually to one female and one male student-athlete and is selected by the Southland Conference Faculty Athletic Representative Committee. The $5,000 scholarship must be applied to graduate study at an institution of the recipient’s choice.
The award was established in 1996 in memory of Dr. F.L. McDonald, a former president of Lamar University and 1999 Southland Hall of Honor inductee. McDonald was serving as Lamar's president in 1963 when the Southland Conference was established. He is considered one of the league's founding fathers.
Gonzales and Marrone were chosen from a pool of fellow classmates and graduated student-athletes. Applicants must have at least a 3.75 GPA and have lettered at least two seasons at the nominating institution. Each recipient must enroll in a full-time graduate program within one year of receiving the award.
Julian Gonzales, McNeese Baseball
Julian Gonzales wrapped a successful career on the diamond for the 2022 Southland regular-season champion Cowboys. Gonzales started in all 57 games and hit .280 with nine home runs and a team-high 44 RBIs. He ranked second on the squad with 16 doubles, 52 runs scored and three triples.
Gonzales was also the recipient of the 2021 McNeese Community Impact Award and Southland McCarty Citizenship Award for his work ethic, positive attitude and great character off the field as well. The energetic outfielder logged more than 80 hours of service during immediate hurricane recovery, making himself available day and night to distribute essential items to those most in need following Hurricanes Laura and Delta.
Gonzales was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Third Team, becoming just the seventh Cowboy in school history to earn the award. Despite a challenging biology pre-med curriculum with a chemistry and psychology minor, Gonzales maintained an impressive 3.94 GPA. The four-year letterwinner from Sulpher, Louisiana, plans to attend medical school at LSU-New Orleans.
Madeline Marrone, UIW Cross Country/Track & Field
Madeline Marrone compiled a 3.92 grade point average as a four-year student-athlete and member of the UIW Honors Program as a rehabilitative sciences/pre-occupational therapist major with a psychology minor. She plans to enroll in one of the Texas Doctor of Occupational Therapy programs in 2023.
The senior cross country/track & field athlete for the Cardinals hails from Austin, Texas. Marrone possesses a long-list of community service work and volunteerism. This past year she served as the community service chair for the UIW Special Olympics College Club and worked with Kinetic Kids, assisting young athletes with their needs for assistance and encouragement.
During her more than 120 hours of job shadowing, in addition to her competitive season and class responsibilities, she discovered hippotherapy, which integrates the movement of a horse into a patient’s therapy. Marrone began working with RISE Equestrian in San Antonio as a side-walker for these therapy sessions, preparing her in many ways for her future goals.