01.11.07
Former Soccer Star Smedley One Of First
Student-Athletes In ASC Hall of Honor
Cara Smedley Murez Part of Three-Person Class of 2006-2007
CARA SMEDLEY MUREZ
UTD Women's Soccer
1998-2001
RICHARDSON, TX - Former University of Texas at Dallas women’s soccer standout Cara Smedley Murez is one of the first two student-athletes selected for the American Southwest Conference Hall of Honor as part of the three-member Class of 2006-07 announced Thursday.
Murez, who had an award-winning career with the Comets from 1998-2001, was selected for the Hall along with former University of Mary Hardin-Baylor football player Preston Meyer and Fred Jacoby, the ASC’s first commissioner who retired last summer.
The Class of 2006-07 represents the fourth group of individuals inducted to the ASC Hall of Honor and the first since 2001. The ASC Hall of Honor recognizes outstanding former student-athletes, coaches and administrators who brought pride and honor to the conference through their contributions. The 2006-2007 class was the first to include student-athletes. Selection of the inductees was made by a 10-member panel of conference Directors of Athletics, Faculty Athletics Representatives and Sports Information Directors representative of the East and West Divisions in the ASC.
Murez, who played her high school soccer at Flower Mound Marcus High School, was one of the original student-athletes who helped lead the way in turning the University of Texas at Dallas' women's soccer team into one of the top programs in the American Southwest Conference. During her four-year career at UTD, the Comets started a string of consecutive winning seasons that continues through the 2006 season, going 40-13-5 during her final three years at the University.
Murez was a four-time All-ASC defender, an All-Division player and the Comets' Most Valuable Player. She was twice voted the ASC Defensive Player of the Year (2000, 2001). In her senior season, Murez was selected as a team captain and later honored as the UTD Female Athlete of the Year. In four years as a UTD defender, she scored at least one goal every season (8 goals in career), assisted on 14 other goals, and missed only one game during her entire career.
Academically, Murez was a member of the Golden Key National Honor Society, UTD Dean's List and a three-time ASC Academic All-Conference honoree. In 2002, she was one of only two recipients in the entire university of the prestigious University of Texas at Dallas Alumni Ring Award, an honor awarded to an outstanding UTD student who has excelled academically as well as in various other activities.
Graduating in 2002 with a degree in management information systems, Murez was offered a full-time position with SBC Communications, the company she had interned with during her final two years of college. She was promoted several times during the next three years, becoming the business manager in charge of a large group of managers within her department. In 2005, Murez accepted a position as a project manager with Skywire Software, LLC, a small software company.
The other student-athlete honored was Meyer, who was a two-time ASC Football Defensive Player of the Year during his career at UMHB (1999-2002). Jacoby, who served as commissioner of the former Southwest Conference from 1982-1993, served as the first commissioner of the ASC (1996-2006) directing the transition from NAIA to NCAA Division III membership and expanding the membership of the league. His career in college athletics as a coach and administrator spanned over 50 years.