Three Horned Frogs Honored with Pillar of Purple Award
4/18/2022 10:49:00 AM | General
2022 recipients include Dominic DiNunzio (football), Madilyn Cole (volleyball) and Megan Morris (women’s swimming and diving)
FORT WORTH – TCU Student-Athletes Dominic DiNunzio (football), Madilyn Cole (volleyball) and Megan Morris (women's swimming and diving) have been named recipients of the Pillar of Purple Award, as announced by TCU's Intercollegiate Athletic Committee.
The award is presented to at least one TCU student-athlete from men's sports and one from women's sports, and honors their academic achievements, athletic excellence, community service and leadership. To be eligible, nominees must have junior or senior academic standing and have earned a varsity letter in their respective sport.
The selections are made by the IAC, which is comprised of faculty, staff and students representing the university community.
DiNunzio is a junior on the football team and served as a team captain this past season. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, DiNunzio played all 12 games for the Horned Frogs in 2021, where he tallied six receptions for 69 yards and a touchdown. He was inspirational in TCU's home victory over No. 12-ranked Baylor back on Nov. 6, 2021, catching a pair of passes and scoring his first career touchdown.
DiNunzio attends TCU on an ROTC scholarship and most recently was awarded the Most Outstanding Cadet in the 2022 graduating class. He describes service as "always being a part of his life." His future plans include a desire of being accepted as an infantry officer where he can fulfill his dream of becoming an officer in the US Army.
DiNunzio, who earned First Team Academic All-Big 12 Team honors this past season, is described in his letter of recommendation by a leader on campus as, "a very serious student who dives headfirst into any academic opportunity presented to him."
DiNunzio is a double major within TCU's Neeley School of Business, currently working towards a bachelor's degree in finance and accounting. He is slated to receive his degree in December of 2022.
Cole is a junior middle blocker for the volleyball team and is coming off a season where she started 17 of 20 matches played for the Horned Frogs in 2021. She tallied 51 kills and ranked second on the team with 81 blocks. Her efforts at the net included 10 solo blocks and 71 assisted blocks.
Cole tied a single-match program record with 12 total blocks in TCU's win over Incarnate Word on Sept. 14, 2021. Her 12 blocks were part of TCU's record-setting day overall, as the squad set a new team single-match record with a total of 22 blocks in the contest. She was forced to miss the 2020-21 volleyball season, sitting out the year after undergoing spinal fusion surgery. Exactly one year to the date following the operation, Cole had played in all 10 non-conference matches for the Horned Frogs, where she was leading the Big 12 and ranked tied for No. 11 in the nation with a 1.51 blocks per set average.
Cole's campus and community involvement include serving on TCU's Mortar Board, Ampersand Chapter, Computer Science Feminists and the Tarrant County Food Bank. In her letter of recommendation, Cole was defined as, "encompassing a high standard of citizenship, character and courage that is engrained in life's story" and is noted as a deserving candidate for this award because one "has to be a strong individual to not only excel in the classroom and in their sport, but also in life."
Cole, who hails from Magnolia, Texas, was named First Team Academic All-Big 12 this past season and was also awarded the 2022 Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award by the Big 12 Conference, which serves as the highest academic honor given by the league. She is currently working towards earning a bachelor's degree in computer science, with an estimated graduation date in 2024.
Morris is a senior on the women's swimming and diving team. A native of nearby Frisco, Texas, Morris' name is etched all over TCU's all-time program record books. She is the school's all-time record holder in the 400m individual medley (IM), while ranking among the top-10 in the 200m IM, 100m backstroke, 200m backstroke and 200m butterfly.
Morris was also a recipient of the 2022 Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award by the Big 12 Conference. She is a three-time First Team Academic All-Big 12 Team honoree and was named to the league's Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team following her freshman campaign in 2019.
Morris' community service involvement includes serving as a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, where she and fellow student-athletes helped distribute holiday cards and notes to children within the Fort Worth ISD. She is also part of TCU's Neeley Leadership Program – a three-year leadership development program this is designed to offer enriched curriculum and growth to a select cohort of 30 Neeley Business students.
Noted in a letter of recommendation for Morris, a professor has appreciated the opportunity to both teach and get to know Morris over the past three years. The professor states that Morris is, "a flat-out gamer when it comes to her studies, and boasts one of the highest GPAs in the Neeley Leadership Program." The professor also notes, "this is no small feat, as NLP is a highly selective academic program that requires students to take courses outside the typical business school curriculum that are especially challenging."
Morris will graduate in May 2022 with a bachelor's degree in marketing & entrepreneurship and innovation, with an emphasis in leadership.
ABOUT THE PILLAR OF PURPLE AWARD
The Pillar of Purple Award is presented to at least one member of a TCU men's and women's athletic team. The award honors the academic achievements, athletics excellence, community service and leadership of college athletes from all sports at TCU. To be eligible, nominees must have competed and earned a varsity letter in a TCU sponsored sport.
It is expected that student-athletes selected for the Pillar of Purple Award will exemplify high standards of citizenship, character and courage. This is an award that recognizes the totality of the student-athlete's commitment to excellence. The committee takes the collection of all criteria into consideration in making a decision.
The awardees will receive a plaque or other suitable acknowledgment to be determined by the IAC, be recognized at the annual spring athletic banquet and have their accomplishments noted in an appropriate location in the TCU Library.
For more information about the Intercollegiate Athletic Committee and the Pillar of Purple Award, visit https://fsn.tcu.edu/committees/intercollegiate-athletic-committee/.
PILLAR OF PURPLE AWARD RECIPIENTS
2019 – Kianna Ray (women's basketball), Brendan Barry (men's swimming)
2021 – Kevin Chao (men's swimming and diving), Tijana Duricek (women's soccer) and Emma Schmidt (women's basketball)
The award is presented to at least one TCU student-athlete from men's sports and one from women's sports, and honors their academic achievements, athletic excellence, community service and leadership. To be eligible, nominees must have junior or senior academic standing and have earned a varsity letter in their respective sport.
The selections are made by the IAC, which is comprised of faculty, staff and students representing the university community.
DiNunzio is a junior on the football team and served as a team captain this past season. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, DiNunzio played all 12 games for the Horned Frogs in 2021, where he tallied six receptions for 69 yards and a touchdown. He was inspirational in TCU's home victory over No. 12-ranked Baylor back on Nov. 6, 2021, catching a pair of passes and scoring his first career touchdown.
DiNunzio attends TCU on an ROTC scholarship and most recently was awarded the Most Outstanding Cadet in the 2022 graduating class. He describes service as "always being a part of his life." His future plans include a desire of being accepted as an infantry officer where he can fulfill his dream of becoming an officer in the US Army.
DiNunzio, who earned First Team Academic All-Big 12 Team honors this past season, is described in his letter of recommendation by a leader on campus as, "a very serious student who dives headfirst into any academic opportunity presented to him."
DiNunzio is a double major within TCU's Neeley School of Business, currently working towards a bachelor's degree in finance and accounting. He is slated to receive his degree in December of 2022.
Cole is a junior middle blocker for the volleyball team and is coming off a season where she started 17 of 20 matches played for the Horned Frogs in 2021. She tallied 51 kills and ranked second on the team with 81 blocks. Her efforts at the net included 10 solo blocks and 71 assisted blocks.
Cole tied a single-match program record with 12 total blocks in TCU's win over Incarnate Word on Sept. 14, 2021. Her 12 blocks were part of TCU's record-setting day overall, as the squad set a new team single-match record with a total of 22 blocks in the contest. She was forced to miss the 2020-21 volleyball season, sitting out the year after undergoing spinal fusion surgery. Exactly one year to the date following the operation, Cole had played in all 10 non-conference matches for the Horned Frogs, where she was leading the Big 12 and ranked tied for No. 11 in the nation with a 1.51 blocks per set average.
Cole's campus and community involvement include serving on TCU's Mortar Board, Ampersand Chapter, Computer Science Feminists and the Tarrant County Food Bank. In her letter of recommendation, Cole was defined as, "encompassing a high standard of citizenship, character and courage that is engrained in life's story" and is noted as a deserving candidate for this award because one "has to be a strong individual to not only excel in the classroom and in their sport, but also in life."
Cole, who hails from Magnolia, Texas, was named First Team Academic All-Big 12 this past season and was also awarded the 2022 Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award by the Big 12 Conference, which serves as the highest academic honor given by the league. She is currently working towards earning a bachelor's degree in computer science, with an estimated graduation date in 2024.
Morris is a senior on the women's swimming and diving team. A native of nearby Frisco, Texas, Morris' name is etched all over TCU's all-time program record books. She is the school's all-time record holder in the 400m individual medley (IM), while ranking among the top-10 in the 200m IM, 100m backstroke, 200m backstroke and 200m butterfly.
Morris was also a recipient of the 2022 Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award by the Big 12 Conference. She is a three-time First Team Academic All-Big 12 Team honoree and was named to the league's Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team following her freshman campaign in 2019.
Morris' community service involvement includes serving as a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, where she and fellow student-athletes helped distribute holiday cards and notes to children within the Fort Worth ISD. She is also part of TCU's Neeley Leadership Program – a three-year leadership development program this is designed to offer enriched curriculum and growth to a select cohort of 30 Neeley Business students.
Noted in a letter of recommendation for Morris, a professor has appreciated the opportunity to both teach and get to know Morris over the past three years. The professor states that Morris is, "a flat-out gamer when it comes to her studies, and boasts one of the highest GPAs in the Neeley Leadership Program." The professor also notes, "this is no small feat, as NLP is a highly selective academic program that requires students to take courses outside the typical business school curriculum that are especially challenging."
Morris will graduate in May 2022 with a bachelor's degree in marketing & entrepreneurship and innovation, with an emphasis in leadership.
ABOUT THE PILLAR OF PURPLE AWARD
The Pillar of Purple Award is presented to at least one member of a TCU men's and women's athletic team. The award honors the academic achievements, athletics excellence, community service and leadership of college athletes from all sports at TCU. To be eligible, nominees must have competed and earned a varsity letter in a TCU sponsored sport.
It is expected that student-athletes selected for the Pillar of Purple Award will exemplify high standards of citizenship, character and courage. This is an award that recognizes the totality of the student-athlete's commitment to excellence. The committee takes the collection of all criteria into consideration in making a decision.
The awardees will receive a plaque or other suitable acknowledgment to be determined by the IAC, be recognized at the annual spring athletic banquet and have their accomplishments noted in an appropriate location in the TCU Library.
For more information about the Intercollegiate Athletic Committee and the Pillar of Purple Award, visit https://fsn.tcu.edu/committees/intercollegiate-athletic-committee/.
PILLAR OF PURPLE AWARD RECIPIENTS
2019 – Kianna Ray (women's basketball), Brendan Barry (men's swimming)
2021 – Kevin Chao (men's swimming and diving), Tijana Duricek (women's soccer) and Emma Schmidt (women's basketball)
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