Youngstown, Ohio — Former Youngstown State student-athlete Madyson Marx was voted the Conference USA Scholar Athlete of the Year in bowling for her combined achievement in academics, athletics and community service.

The faculty athletics representatives from the conference's 10 full-time members voted on the honorees across the league's 19 sports, and the winners were announced on Thursday. Youngstown State is an affiliate member in bowling.

Marx, a fifth-year senior on Youngstown State's 2024-25 team that won that National Championship, is YSU's first Scholar Athlete of the Year honoree in Conference USA. The Maplewood, Minn., native was a First-Team All-American in 2024-25, following up a second-team nod in 2023-24 and honorable mention accolades in 2022-23. Marx was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Final Four as she averaged a team-best 22.54 pins per frame at the event, and she led the Penguins with a 22.06 average overall in the NCAA Tournament.

Marx finished her career as YSU's all-time leader in traditional game average and the program's only three-time All-American. ?She averaged a career-best 210.71 in traditional play in 2024-25, and she also set career highs in fill-frame percentage and strike percentage.

Academically, Marx was an Academic All-District selection by College Sports Communicators in each of her final three seasons, and she was twice a Conference USA Academic Medal recipient. She was also a member of the Conference USA All-Academic Team in 2024, and she was a three-time All-Academic Team selection in the Southland Bowling League. Marx graduated Summa Cum Laude with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice in May 2024.