Women’s hoops stars grace cover of new issue

ACU Today Summer/Fall 2016

Alumni magazine for Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas

It’s been 20 years since women’s basketball was the cover story of ACU Today magazine. That’s when the 1995-96 team, led by senior Jennifer Clarkson Frazier and sophomore Shalonda Bowden, went 31-2 and advanced to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight.

Our newest issue features four student-athletes who are helping the Wildcats reach new heights in NCAA Division I.

Twins Lizzy and Suzzy Dimba, along with Alexis Mason and Sydney Shelsted, are featured in our cover story, “Junior Achievement,” for heroics while leading their team to a 31-4 record last season, an unlikely Southland Conference regular season title, and a berth in the Postseason Women’s National Invitational Tournament. Grant Boone (’90), radio and TV voice of the Wildcats, is the writer.

The talented quartet will be seniors in 2016-17, and their team will open the season against the University of Missouri in the Preseason Women’s NIT, along with 15 of the other top teams in the nation.

Other content in this issue – which, including online-only Bonus Coverage – totals 172 pages:

• In “Preaching the Write Stuff,” freelance photographer Jeremy Enlow provides a look inside the new Max Lucado (’77) Collection donated by the San Antonio minister and best-selling author.
• Dr. H. Jeff Kimble (’71) is the 2016 Outstanding Alumnus of the Year. A profile of him by Sarah Carlson (’06) leads our coverage of 2016 alumni award winners, including Gilbert Tuhabonye (’01), Jennifer (England ’85) Allen, Ben Jeffrey (’06) and Scotty (’52) and June (’56) Witt.
• The Vision in Action initiative focuses on groundbreaking of Wildcat Stadium for football, and ongoing construction of Halbert-Walling Research Center and Onstead Science Center.
• “Is It Worth It?” a look at how ACU is bridging the affordability gap with its value and generous financial aid packages/
• Tour the new home in Addison for ACU Dallas in “Branching Out”
• Sarah Carlson’s “Making Waves” probes the role ACU’s Dr. Josh Willis  (’96), senior Hannah Hamilton, and graduates Andrew Miller (’14) and Marissa Walker (’11) played in a massive scientific undertaking that led to the discovery of gravitational waves 100 years after Einstein predicted their existence.
• The Second Glance essay connects dots between ACU, Madagascar, World Christian Broadcasting and the globetrotting family of Dr. Lowell (’47) and Earline (Davidson ’48) Perry, whose longtime vision for bringing the Gospel to the entire world via shortwave radio was realized this spring.
• Other Bonus Coverage this issue includes images from Sing Song’s 60th show and a gathering of former hosts, hostesses and directors who helped celebrate it in February; an additional 16 pages on the Max Lucado Collection; and a look inside the 2015-16 women’s basketball season.

Watch this blog in the days to come for backstories of some of these major articles in the new issue. Enjoy the full issue by clicking on the viewer above.