Wildcat SPORTS Determined, dedicated Coppedge becomes 28th Wildcat to win NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship e all-conference, all-region and academic all-America accolades steadily heaped upon Julie Coppedge throughout her collegiate career were largely the product of hard work, passion and discipline. But these positive attributes were instilled and reinforced through a tragic situation a decade ago when her older brother Chris, then 18 years old, died when a car in which he was riding was struck by an individual being pursued by police in a high-speed chase. e youngest of three children, Julie was 12 when Chris died and it’s possible his passing would have devastated the family even more if not for its unshakeable faith. Julie’s mother also offered strength and
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support to her family as someone who had already experienced the cruelty of sudden unexpected loss. “My mom lost her mom at age 10 and her dad when she was 22,” said Julie. “Even after losing her son, I could see there was nothing she couldn’t overcome. e incident caused a lot of hurt, but I was propelled by it, and my mother’s lessons to me during that time were to ‘never give up’ and ‘have a passion to go after everything.’” Her mother’s instructions helped set the stage for a collegiate life that has done nothing but flourish. As a midfielder on the ACU soccer team, Julie finished her career ranked among the university’s all-time leaders in points and assists. She also made five all-region squads, four all-Lone Star Conference teams, and in 2012 earned her first academic all-America citation, followed by a NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship valued at $7,500. Julie also never missed any of her 82
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Julie Coppedge
Barnier named new head track and field coach Keith Barnier, head track and field coach for 11 years at Minnesota State-Moorhead, was named to the same role at ACU in a press conference May 13. “It's tough to leave my alma mater because we've done some great things here. But I couldn't pass up the chance to coach track and field at ACU,” he said. “It is one of the legendary programs in our sport, and I’m looking forward to the chance to lead it through the transition to NCAA Division I and back to a place of prominence.” Barnier was previously an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Alabama and at Clemson University.
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matches yet still found time to work as a writer and photographer for the Optimist newspaper, serve as an on-air announcer for NPR affiliate KACU-FM, and intern during the summer with Kimberly-Clark and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. “I’m lucky to have been advised by so many great mentors at ACU,” she said. “I can still remember [former ACU head football coach] Dr. Bob Strader (’76) telling me to ‘go where your desires and talents intersect,’ and I immediately made a list of what I was good at and passionate about. Most of the list centered on writing and communication.” Julie’s excellence in the classroom allowed her to graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in advertising and public relations, with the added luxury of having a full-time job waiting for her upon graduation. rough a connection at Kimberly-Clark, Julie was introduced to HCK2 Partners and started working for the Dallas-based public relations firm in May. It was one of several offers she received months before Commencement. “is was such a huge transition for me, and I didn’t know which job to look at first,” said Julie. “I asked God to lead me, and while He didn’t provide a direct answer, I remembered that nothing can be a mistake with a God who can redeem anything. I was afraid, but was reminded that fear is what takes us away from where God is.” Julie’s success as a student-athlete makes her an ideal candidate to lead tours around campus for future Wildcats. When she does, her advice to them is a message of sacrifice. She also encourages them to live in the present and to develop their own definitions of success and purpose. She believes her purpose is to impart the joy of God into others through communication. His place in her life has helped her overcome tragedy and enabled her to set an example among friends who know they, too, can conquer their fears through God. 䊱
‘Starting Five’ honors best basketball stars of LSC era Throughout the early part of 2013, ACU basketball fans had an opportunity to vote online and at games for the top 10 men’s and women’s players during the Wildcats’ 40 years in the Lone Star Conference, and each of those teams was honored and recognized before its final NCAA Division II home games in March. The top five vote-getters on the women’s team were Jennifer (Clarkson ‘96) Frazier, Claudia Schleyer (‘86), Anita Vigil (‘92), Melanie Carter (‘04) and Deonna (Moore ‘86) Shake. The top five on the men’s team were Jared Mosley (‘00), Randall Moore (‘80), Andrew Prince (‘75), Hunter Cooley (‘92) and Peter Kiganya (‘03). A sixth player was added to each team: Caroline Omamo (‘98) for the women and Rodney Fedell (‘80) for the men.