Providence, R.I.—Rhode Island College senior guard
Madison Medbury (Scituate, R.I.), along with Eastern Connecticut State University's
Walter Scudder and Keene State College's
Octavio Brito, were named Little East Student-Athletes of the Year. As such, each will be nominated for the Division III Commissioner's Association (D3CA) Student-Athlete of the Year Award.
Medbury will additionally be the LEC's nominee for NCAA Woman of the Year.
Medbury is among the most decorated women's basketball players in Rhode Island College history, culminating with a 2024-25 season that saw her named the Little East Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year on her way to earning All-American honors from both D3hoops.com and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). She earned All-Little honors her sophomore through senior seasons and garnered numerous All-Region honors, including being named the D3hoops.com Region 2 Player of the Year this past season. Medbury received RIC's Helen M. Murphy Award, signifying her as RIC's top senior female student-athlete.
The Anchorwomen saw unprecedented success with Medbury in the backcourt, winning three consecutive Little East tournament championships and four straight LEC regular season titles. RIC qualified for the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament in each of her first three seasons, advancing to the Final Four in 2023 and the Sweet 16 in 2024.
As part of her personal statement, Medbury said, "Growing up in Rhode Island and continuing my college education here has been one of the most meaningful and rewarding experiences of my life. The community is extremely close-knit and supportive, which created the perfect environment for me to grow as a student, an athlete, and most importantly, a person. Being a college athlete challenged me, but it also helped me discover who I am and what my purpose is. I've learned that small moments of kindness can have a huge impact. Helping others become happier, more confident versions of themselves has become my purpose because I know how much it meant to have people believe in me when I needed it most."
In the classroom, Medbury was a double-major in health science and psychology while minoring in behavioral neuroscience. She was a mainstay on the LEC All-Academic Team and LEC Academic Honor Roll, and was a three-time recipient of the Rhode Island Speaker of the House and House of Representatives Scholar-Athlete Award. Outside of her academic and athletic pursuits, Medbury was a peer mentor at RIC, worked as a camp counselor at a summer camp for children ages 7-13 with various social, emotional and behavioral disabilities, and was a volunteer ambulance EMT and fire fighter in Johnston, Rhode Island.
"Whether I was the teammate others trusted to talk about personal challenges, the captain demonstrating the standard of our culture and building confidence, or the peer mentor guiding new students, my goal was always to make those around me feel more comfortable and to walk away feeling understood. This intention carried through every role I took on as a student athlete. As an EMT, I made it a priority to talk to patients and help them feel more at ease. Working with youth with special needs taught me the importance of meeting people where they are and creating a supportive environment."
