Leadership is second nature to Mount Union student-athlete Rachel Markle who has been named the Ohio Athletic Conference Scholar Athlete of the Month.
Markle has been a leader on the golf course as a three-year letterwinner on the Purple Raiders women’s golf team. During this past season, she became the fourth student-athlete in school history to win medalist honors at the OAC Championship, while leading Mount Union to a record setting score to claim the program’s fourth straight team title. She has earned All-OAC first-team honors each of the last two seasons and has been part of three conference championship teams while playing in each of the last three NCAA Championships.
“Our program is lucky to have a great group of girls that have a good team dynamic on and off the course,” Markle said. “Our team has a competitive nature, which is why we thrive at big tournaments like the OAC Championship.”
Off the course, Markle holds a 3.84 grade point average as a double major in Economics and Finance. The two-time Academic All-OAC selection is a Mount Union presidential scholar, president of her sorority Alpha Chi Omega, president of Alpha Lambda Delta honor society and treasurer of both Delta Mu Delta honor society and the campus Enactus civic engagement group as well as being a Regula Scholar for the 2018-19 academic year.
“Rachel is a hard worker on and off the golf course,” commented Head Coach Bill Kirkwood. “She is the heart and soul of our team, always encouraging and always with a smile. Her leadership has been an inspiration to our team as well as to me.”
She is also involved in the community being on the planning committee for the Relay for Life at Mount Union along with work at the Alliance Area Domestic Violence Shelter and Salvation Army.
“Alliance has several great nonprofit organizations that serve a huge segment of the community, one of the largest being the Salvation Army,” added Markle. “I have found great purpose in getting involved with these organizations and it has shaped my college experience.”
Markle looks to keep leading on the course in 2019-20 then she plans to go into working in wealth management and estate planning.