Springfield, Ohio – When Laura Matthews arrived at Wittenberg as the university’s new softball head coach in August 2012, she immediately sensed that Rachel Ross (Westerville, Ohio/South) wasn’t just a face in the crowd of new faces staring back at her at the first team meeting. She was an influential leader on a relatively young team facing a time of uncertainty.
Matthews recounts that Ross had two options – to “jump on board with the changes we were implementing” or “resist change and bring her teammates to battle with the coaching staff.” Ross, who has excelled at no less than four positions during her collegiate career, accepted the challenges the new coaching staff put before the team, and she went on to lead the Tigers to one of the best seasons in program history in 2013.
Ross’ performance on the softball field, her leadership on the team and in the campus community, her sportsmanship and selfless attitude, and her tremendous academic achievements combined to make her one of 36 semifinalists for the 10th annual Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup. Presented by Athletes for a Better World, the Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup is named for the famed UCLA men’s basketball coach who championed character, conduct and selfless gifts as integral parts of the sporting experience.
The professional Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup honoree for 2014 is New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, while the collegiate winner will be announced from among five finalists at an awards ceremony on April 22. While Ross was not selected as one of the finalists, she is already a winner in the eyes of her coaches and professors at Wittenberg.
Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science Doug Andrews serves as Ross’ academic advisor. He offered a great deal of praise in recommending Ross for the Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup, noting that “she works extraordinarily well as a teammate with others – as a co-worker, as leader, and as follower – and she has exemplary work habits and attitudes.”
Likewise, after extolling Ross’ academic and athletic achievements in her recommendation letter, Associate Professor of Business Wendy Gradwohl sums things up this way: “Rachel is genuine, kind, and simply put, an all-around good citizen. Her cheerful demeanor and positive attitude can brighten anyone’s bad day. Despite all of her accomplishments, she still remains humble with a servant’s heart. Clearly these are but a few of the characteristics that make her an effective leader, team member, and citizen both on and off the field.”
Matthews couldn’t agree more. She said that Ross has organized unofficial team conditioning sessions and skill-based training practices that have raised the competition level of the Tiger softball team, and she has been nothing short of a model student-athlete, maintaining a grade point average just short of a perfect 4.0 as a mathematics major.
On the field, Ross has done it all, twice earning All-North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) honors while splitting her time between the pitcher’s circle and several positions in the field. In 2013, she led the team and ranked among the league’s best in every pitching statistic while posting the second-highest win total for a pitcher in program history (17).
She has been named the team’s Most Outstanding Player twice in her first three collegiate seasons, and she is credited with the first perfect game in program history in 2011 and a no-hitter in 2013. As a junior, Ross led the Tigers to records of 23-13 overall and 10-6 in the NCAC. Wittenberg’s season came to an end in the NCAC Tournament championship with a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat against Allegheny.
Written By: Ryan Maurer