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Paul Russell, a former Rockbridge County High School golfer, recently received a scholarship from the Virginia State Golf Association- VIP to play golf for Washington and Lee University. Russell was also the recipient of the 23rd C. Dan K effer A ward, which goes to an individual in honor of the former VSGA-VIP Scholarship Foundation Committee Chairman. It was the highest level award given to a male golfer.
Russell, who received a scholarship of $10,000, played for the Wildcats his freshman and sophomore years before transferring to Asheville School in Asheville, N.C.
As a freshman, Russell was the fourth scorer on the RC team that placed fourth in the Region 3C tournament. Russell’s sophomore season was delayed from the fall to the spring due to COVID-19, and he led the Wildcats at the Region 3C tournament by tying for second place. RC also finished second as a team.
Along with teammate Grace Huffman, Russell advanced to the Class 3 state tournament, where he placed 19th, following Huffman’s fourth-place finish. Huffman is a graduate student playing Division I golf for Longwood University in Farmville. In both years at RC, Russell was coached by David Miller, who continues to coach the Wildcats.
At Asheville School, Russell was the captain of the golf team as a senior this spring. He was an all-conference player in the Carolina Athletic Association and placed fourth in the state tournament in the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association. He was also named to the Asheville Citizen-Times All-WNC boys golf team for 2023, released last week.
In late May, Russell graduated from Asheville and was inducted into the Cum Laude Society for academic achievement.
Outside of golf at Asheville School, Russell was the founder of the sports broadcasting program and was a junior camp leader. He volunteered with Head Prefect, fostering community engagement, mentoring new students, and promoting values and the mission of the school.
Russell also received the Anderson and Mitchell Merit Scholarship and earned Summa Cum Laude on the National Mythology and National Latin exams, and he made the dean’s list. His academic interests include classics, statistics and business. He is the youngest child of Rockbridge area residents Chris and Caroline Russell.
In addition to Miller, Paul credits his golf success to golf professionals Scott Frazier and Jeff Wagner at the Lexington Golf and Country Club. “All of these folks helped him with this golf, but more importantly taught him some of the character lessons unique to the game of golf,” said his father. “He is looking forward to reconnecting with them now that he is back in Lexington and will be here for college.”
