Leatherman, Murray Selected as Anderson Most Outstanding Senior Athletes

The Anderson University athletics department has selected Ian Leatherman as its Most Outstanding Male Senior Athlete and Mariah Murray as its Most Outstanding Female Senior Athlete.

Leatherman competed in cross country and track and field for four years with the Ravens while Murray competed in track and field for four years.

During his cross country career, Leatherman earned all-conference honors in all four years. As a freshman, he finished 19th place to earn all-Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) Honorable Mention. He then earned a first-team all-conference selection as a sophomore by securing 10th in the conference meet. As a junior, Leatherman captured third in the HCAC Championships to garner first-team all-conference honors. Leatherman then took 15th in the conference meet as a senior to earn all-HCAC Honorable Mention.

During the NCAA Regional Meet, Leatherman claimed 50th as a senior. He was later named a United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Individual.

Leatherman recorded three all-conference performances during the HCAC Indoor Championships in his career. He turned in a time of 8 minutes, 54.1 seconds in the 3,000-meter run to take third as a sophomore. Leatherman secured third (15:43.78) in the 5,000 as a junior and repeated in third (15:48.51) during the 5,000 as a senior.

During his career, Leatherman earned two HCAC Player-of-the-Week selections. Leatherman received one in cross county after taking ninth in the Bullock Invitational. He also captured a HCAC Track-Athlete-of-the-Week selection during the indoor season as a senior after winning the 3,000 during the UIndy Season Opener with a time of 9:08.13. Leatherman received academic all-HCAC honors in each of the three years he was eligible for cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field. He also received the HCAC Sportsmanship award as a junior for indoor track and field and as a senior for cross country.

Leatherman graduated with a Mechanical Engineering degree and earned a 3.815 cumulative GPA. He graduated from the Honors program and is a member of the Alpha Chi Honors Society. Leatherman tutored for several Mathematics and Physics classes and served as a teaching assistant for Statics and Dynamics as a junior.

Murray earned all-conference honors in all seven of the conference track and field meets she competed in, while capturing the conference high jump title three times. As a freshman, she took second (1.59 meters; 5 feet, 2.5 inches) in the high jump during the indoor meet and third (1.58 meters; 5 feet, 2.25 inches) in the high jump during the outdoor meet. Murray picked up second-team all-conference honors during the indoor meet and all-HCAC Honorable Mention during the outdoor meet. As a sophomore, Murray claimed second in the high jump for both the indoor HCAC meet (1.61 meters; 5 feet, 3.5 inches) and the outdoor HCAC meet (1.57 meters; 5 feet, 1.75 inches), collecting second-team all-HCAC honors in both meets.

Murray locked up the HCAC indoor high jump title as a junior, clearing a height of 1.65 meters (5 feet, 5 inches). During the outdoor conference meet, Murray totaled three individual medals and two relay medals. As an individual, she took first in the high jump (1.60 meters; 5 feet, 3 inches), second in the 100 (12.86) and third in the 200 (26.20). Murray also contributed to a second-place finish (4:10.32) in the 4x400 and a third-place finish (50.36) in the 4x100. She garnered first-team all-conference honors in both the indoor and outdoor meets.

Murray earned first-team all-conference recognition during the HCAC Indoor Championships as a senior after receiving three individual medals and a relay medal. She defended her high jump title by clearing a height of 1.62 meters (5 feet, 3.75 inches). Murray also took second (8.32) in the 60-meter dash and third (27.13) in the 200. She contributed to a third-place finish (4:17.24) in the 4x400.

Among NCAA Division III leaders, Murray finished 6-of-7 seasons ranked in the top 30 for the high jump and every season ranked in the top 70 for high jump. Her lifetime bests in the high jump were heights of 1.67 meters (5 feet, 5.75 inches) indoors and 1.65 meters (5 feet, 5 inches) outdoors.  Murray garnered USTFCCCA All-Region honors for the high jump in all four indoor seasons as well as the outdoor season of her junior year. She was named a USTFCCCA All-Academic individual as a junior.

Murray captured the HCAC Field Athlete of the Week during her senior indoor season after winning the high jump (1.60 meters; 5 feet, 3 inches) and tying the facility record during the Coach Rob NCAC/OAC/HCAC Challenge. She also received academic all-HCAC honors for the indoor and outdoor seasons of her senior year.

Murray graduated with a Marketing degree and earned a 3.603 GPA. She was named the Falls School of Business Outstanding Senior Award and is also a member of the Alpha Mu Gamma National Honor Society. Murray made the Dean's List three times. She has received the Center for Leadership Development Scholarship, the Massey Scholarship, the Reardon Scholarship, the Circle City Classic Scholarship and the Police & Firemen Association Scholarship. Murray was a member of the Black Student Association and served as a Spanish tutor.

Leatherman and Murray will be presented with their awards during halftime of the 2020 Homecoming football game.