Merz, Fussell Earn Post-Dispatch Scholar Athlete Recognition

Lauren Fussell will need a very large varsity jacket. The  senior is the first female to play three varsity sports all four years at the school, earning her 12 letters. 

As a result, the girls softball, basketball and soccer teams will have a huge void to fill next fall. 

Fussell is the ultimate team player, leading the Oakville soccer team with 13 assists. She also led in assists during basketball season with 75. Her postseason acclamations range from All-Conference Honors to basketball Defensive Player of the Year in 2010 to soccer Outstanding Player of the Year in 2011. 

She's attending Missouri State University on a soccer scholarship and hopes to major in criminology, eventually leading to a career in law enforcement. 

(The senior is up for the Patch Athlete of the Week this week. .) 

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch recognized Fussell, along with Mehlville’s Brendan Merz, as Scholar Athletes this week. 

Merz is on the honor roll and 37th in his class. He's also involved in Student Council and the National Honor Society. 

In the fall, he'll attend the University of Missouri to major in business marketing. 

The 5-foot, 9-inch senior led the Panther basketball team with 56 three-pointers and averaged 10.8 points per game this season. 

"Being my height, I never dreamed of having the career I did at Mehlville High School. I always loved basketball, but like I said, I was vertically-challenged," Merz said in the Post-Dispatch article. "When I was in eighth grade I was taught how to shoot a basketball, and from then on I worked and worked to be a better player. In the end it all paid off, and now I currently hold the record for three-pointers made at Mehlville High School."

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch selected one student from each St. Louis school based on academic and athletic performance. The Scholar Athletes were recognized at Busch Stadium Wednesday. 

Read Fussell's article in the Post

Read Merz's article in the Post