Division III Week Student Spotlight – Tristan Powell
This week is NCAA Division III Week and member institutions across the country are celebrating the ninth-year event.
Division III Week, which runs from Monday through Sunday, is intended to recognize the academic and athletic accomplishments as well as the campus leadership and community service efforts of Division III student-athletes.
As part of Huntingdon College's participation in Division III Week, 18 student-athletes will be featured this week. Brooks Freeman, Madison Hunt and Tristan Powell are today's featured student-athletes.
By Brittany Greene
Sports Information Assistant
Name: Tristan Powell
Year: Senior
Hometown: Prattville, Ala.
Major: Exercise Science
Sport: Wrestling
Athletic Accomplishments: Powell was a four-year member of the sixth-year wrestling program. During his career, he was part of three teams that broke the program's season record for dual-match victories.
Academic Achievements and Campus Activities: Powell has been named to the Dean's List and the Dean's List of High Honors and the USA South Academic All-Conference team. He earned the Jane Williams Scholarship Award and is a member of Omicron Delta Kappa. He has also served as a Huntingdon Ambassador, Student Recruiter, President of the EXPERTS Club and Vice President of the Commuter Students Organization.
What made you feel like Huntingdon was the right place for you? "When I first started at Huntingdon, I kept a close relationship with most of my friends at Auburn and other surrounding schools. It didn't take long for me to realize the advantage I had of establishing relationships with professors and administrators. I came to realize that Huntingdon provided me with such care and guidance from faculty that I was capable of achieving grades and awards that I never thought I would have. I knew Huntingdon was going to be the place where I could create my own legacy and fulfill experiences I wouldn't have anywhere else."
As a student-athlete, what is your impression of Division III now compared to your first season? "Whenever I think of Division III, the only concept that comes to my mind is respect. As a wrestler of the only (four-year) college in Alabama that has collegiate wrestling, we competed against multiple NAIA, Division II and even some Division I clubs. Every time I would see a Division III wrestler standing at the top of the podium, I always thought about how all of the competitors from other divisions are on athletic scholarships. Division III athletes wake up every day and decide that they're going to put in the hard work and achieve their goals with no one offering compensation. Division III, in my opinion produces the most disciplined athletes, and that was something I never expected to learn my first year."
With the COVID-19 pandemic changing the world we live in, what have you learned about the compassion and resiliency of your friends, family and classmates? "Fortunately, my athletic season was over prior to this COVID-19 pandemic, so I did not have to experience any abrupt changes to my senior season. However, I have maintained constant contact with several classmates through FaceTime, and things haven't really been as difficult as I thought they would have. My relationship with my friends and classmates has definitely reminded me of how much I do miss seeing them every day in class and at practice. As for resiliency, my friends and I have encouraged one another to work out and run together, study together, and continue to try and better ourselves in any way that we can. As far as family goes, it is always good to spend time around family."
What advice would you give our current underclassmen and incoming recruits to better prepare them for the next few years? "I would tell them to immediately establish a relationship with their professors and to get involved in two or three organizations, in addition to their sport, for at least one full year. Those efforts are what separate people who are not successful in school from those who constantly advance and achieve their goals. Establish relationships, get involved, and constantly create short term goals."
How has your experience at Huntingdon prepared you for life after Huntingdon? "My experience at Huntingdon has prepared me in several ways. Most importantly, I have been provided endless opportunities to create specific networks to my aspiring field of study. Huntingdon has given me the chances to reach out and connect with so many professionals. Additionally, due to the nature of being a smaller college, Huntingdon has taught me the value of accountability and how important it truly is to always have a solid foundation of accountability. These aspects of life are what have been the most important factors in my college career."