WACO, Texas – The National Collegiate Equestrian Association announced the September Standout Athlete of the Month and Horse of the Monday awards on Tuesday.
Standout Athlete of the Month
Every month the NCEA recognizes student-athletes for their accomplishments in the ring, however the NCEA would like to highlight athletes on their outstanding performances outside of the ring, including academics, philanthropy, outstanding attitude, and embodiment of an ideal teammate.
Name of Athlete: Kayleigh Fox
School & Year: Senior, Delaware State
Hometown: Townsend, Del.
Major: Psychology
Highlighted Accomplishments:
Kayleigh Fox is a senior at Delaware State University majoring in Psychology. In addition to managing her time as a student-athlete she also has successfully managed a rigorous course load this semester as she prepares for graduation in the spring. Fox’s goal is to become a Child Psychologist, eventually opening her own private practice along with starting a non-profit center for children in low-income communities. Fox currently is working 3 internships that fit the parameters of both her educational and personal goals. The first is Resilient Soul, LLC., a private counseling practice where she works both remotely and in-office 3 mornings a week. KISH Home Inc. a non-profit that assists females who are currently in or have aged out of foster care, ages 13 to 25. At KISH, Fox mentors the young women as well as creates workshops to teach life skills, including financial literacy & proper etiquette. Her third internship at the Delaware Center for Therapeutic & Educational Riding, Inc. bridges the gap between her love for horses and helping others. The Center’s population ranges from autism & down syndrome, to recovering stroke victims, paralysis, mental health and more. Fox creates individual lesson plans each week for riders based on their needs/goals and teaches sessions two to three evenings a week.
All of this along with the busy schedule of a student-athlete where she practices four to five days a week in addition to weekly strength and conditioning workouts and team meetings and events. Fox has also filled a new role for the DSU Equestrian team this year as one of the teams “Health and Wellness Coordinators” where she assists in the creation of team bonding activities, mental health workshops for the student-athletes, and just being there to lend a hand or ear to anyone who needs it.
Fox has also started her 2022-2023 equestrian season strong as a demonstration rider for the Jumping Seat team on the Flat where she’s shown great progress and earned respectable scores.
The coaches and staff at Delaware State University are proud of Kayleigh and feel she emulates the true characteristics of a “Standout Student-Athlete.”
Coach’s Comments:
We are so proud of the growth and achievements of Kayleigh. She started at Delaware State as a quiet, keep-to-herself type teammate, and we have truly watched her blossom over the last three years as a now senior student-athlete. She has worked hard in and out of the arena and classroom and we are in awe of her time management skills and determination to help those who need it right here in her home state. Managing three internships on top of school, practices, workouts and more is no easy task and yet Kayleigh seems to do it with ease. Kayleigh's role as a "Wellness Coordinator" is something she and another teammate created all on their own, and it is critical in today's world especially with the rigors of being Division I athletes. Kayleigh has a bright future ahead of her and she is truly a standout student-athlete!
Horse of the Month
This highlight is focused towards an outstanding horse, not just one that gets high score every meet or an “MOP horse” but one that shows heart and represents the values of its respective school.
Name of Horse (Barn & Show Name): Cillia "Cici"
Event: Fences
School: Delaware State
Donor: Melanie O' Boyle
Highlighted Accomplishments:
MOP Horse 2 out of 3 competitions in September, consistent scores 80+ over fences in all meets. Helped DSU Rider earn ECAC Rider of the Week. Multiple MOP and high scores over the last 2.5 years we have had her.
Coach’s Comments:
We are so lucky to have Cici on our roster of horses for Jumping Seat here at Delaware State. She is talented and consistent, and tries her heart out during every round. Having a horse like Cici has been a game changer for our program. We are thankful for our Alumni, Tiffany Lee who orchestrated her donation with the O'Boyle family.