We’re very proud of a number of ACS alumni who are seeing success as members of various college sports teams. In particular, three alumni who played girls’ basketball at ACS — Dakota Hitchner (’17), Ayoola Oguntuase (’15), and Candace Winkel (’16)– have made their mark this winter season as important contributors to their college teams.
DJ, the starting point guard on Cairn University’s Women’s Basketball Team, was recently named to the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Honorable Mention team and also received the CSAC All-Sportsmanship Award. DJ averaged 12.2 points a game and led the team in assists. Now in her sophomore year at Cairn, DJ also played starting center-mid on the women’s soccer team, which advanced for the first time in school history to the semi-finals of the NCAA CSAC.
Ola is in her third year as a player on the NCAA Division 2 team at Jefferson University in Philadelphia. While a back injury earlier this year limited her playing time, Ola has been a valuable contributor from the bench and is excited to be part of a team that recently became the Central Athletic Collegiate Conference champions. Ola’s love for the Lord has also made an impact on the team. Her teammates joined hands on the court before the championship game and asked her to lead the team in prayer. The team went on to beat the University of the Sciences by one point and has advanced to the NCAA regional quarter-finals. Ola is a pre-med major and has one more year on the team.
Candace, a junior at Davis Bible College in Binghamton, New York, recently received the U.S. Collegiate Athletic Association’s Women’s Division II Student Athlete of the Year Award. Candace is a starting guard and co-captain of Davis’ women’s basketball team. This month, her team won the Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and went on to compete in the USCAA National Championship. Candace has consistently been one of the team’s top 3-point shooters, as she was during her ACS career. Candace has also excelled academically as a counseling major, with a 3.9 average GPA, and is active in community service. She uses her artistic abilities to paint and donate her paintings with scriptures to churches and other community organizations. She volunteers in a children’s ministry in her home church, Coastal Christian, and has been on five missions trips to the Dominican Republic building houses for the needy.