• NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum
UT Martin junior golfer
Dax Isbell and Tennessee State junior tennis player
Warona Mdlulwa have been selected to participate in the NCAA Leadership Forum.
This year's event takes place in Charlotte, North Carolina from November 21-24.
The NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum, created in 1997, has served as a life-changing experience for more than 5,000 student-athletes who have grown personally and professionally as a result of their attendance. Student-athletes selected to attend the forum return to campus with invaluable leadership skills, a refined understanding of the relationship among personal values, core beliefs and behavioral styles, and the support of a close personal network of like-minded peers to provide continued connection and dialogue after the program concludes. This best-in-class programming experience serves as a transformational opportunity for student-athletes and administrators to build a leadership toolkit and develop vital self-awareness that allows them to realize their potential.
Isbell is coming off an All-OVC campaign in 2023-24, following up on an OVC All-Newcomer nod as a freshman. He ranked sixth in the OVC with a 72.2 stroke average and placed in the top-10 in exactly half (six of 12) of UT Martin’s tournaments. He was named OVC Golfer of the Week three times and was also named to the OVC All-Tournament Team. Off the course, Isbell is a two-time OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll recipient while boasting a 3.86 Grade Point Average as a sport business major. He is also heavily involved in the Skyhawks’ Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter and has helped tutor students at the Martin Enrichment Academy, an afterschool non-profit organization.
On the tennis court, Mdlulwa was named to the 2024 All-OVC Second Team after finishing the regular season with an 8-11 singles record, including three OVC wins. She joins Dawn Hill as the only other TSU player to earn two All-OVC honors after being named to the second team in 2023. Hill earned All-OVC honors in 1998 and 1999. Mdlulwa also went 4-13 in doubles action this past season. Mdlulwa helped guide TSU to OVC Tournament first round wins over Lindenwood in 2023 and 2024. She has a 3.402 G.P.A. in architectural engineering and is a member of the Society of Women Engineers, the American Society of Civil Engineers and the National Society of Black Engineers.