University of Northern Iowa Athletics
Austin Phyfe named 2023 MVC Most Courageous Award winner
4/19/2023 9:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Panther men's basketball forward has battled Vasovagal Syncope and symptoms of long haul COVID through his UNI career.
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- UNI men's basketball forward Austin Phyfe has been named the recipient of the Missouri Valley Conference's (MVC) Most Courageous Award, as announced on Wednesday night during UNI's annual student-athlete award show.
The MVC presents the award annually to former or current student-athletes, coaches or university administrators who demonstrate unusual courage in the face of personal illness, adversity or tragedy and whose behavior reflects honor on the institution or the conference.
Throughout his career on the Panther men's basketball team, Phyfe has faced adversity with a series of medical hardships. During his sophomore season in 2018-19, Phyfe was limited to just seven games and redshirted the remainder of the year after being diagnosed with Vasovagal Syncope, a condition that causes fainting when a person's heart rate and blood pressure drops suddenly.
"I've never had to be the guy that sits on the bench," Phyfe said during his treatment. "Having that feeling was tough and a lot of my teammates knew that it was not easy what I was going through."
After consultation with various doctors and numerous treatment options throughout the year and offseason, Phyfe returned to action in November 2019 to help the Panthers to an MVC regular season championship with an undefeated home record. He was selected First Team All-MVC and as a First Team Scholar-Athlete with NABC All-District honors, averaging 11.2 points per game and 67.1% shooting from the field.
Following Third Team All-MVC honors and a second MVC First Team Scholar-Athlete selection during the 2020-21 season, Phyfe seemed poised for another strong season. Those plans took another sudden turn after a bout with COVID-19 during the summer of 2021. Battling the symptoms of long haul COVID, which included shortness of breath, Phyfe missed only two games, but was limited to an average of 12.1 minutes per game.
"They have me on a couple things. An inhaler trying to help improve the symptoms. They're doing everything they can," Phyfe said of his treatment. "What it is, is like scarring of the lungs. So I'll get a little tightness in the chest as well and it kind of just brings me to a point where I just can't breathe. It was hard just to take a deep breath when I'm going up and down."
Despite a limited role, Phyfe still contributed greatly to UNI's second MVC championship in three seasons, which saw the Panthers reach the second round of the NIT.
"After the season we were able to get up to Rochester (Minn.), to get him looked at at the Mayo Clinic and got a great report," said UNI head men's basketball coach Ben Jacobson. "He put together a great four-to-five week stretch in the weight room, on the bike, and he started doing a little bit of running. It's been really good to see him back. It was Phyfe the way we're used to seeing Phyfe."
Due to on-going treatment and medication for his condition, Phyfe was unable to play during the 2022-23 season. Despite missing time on the court, his spirit has not been diminished. Phyfe spent the year on the sidelines attending every practice and game, helping coach and encourage his teammates throughout the season, developing a new appreciation for the game from a new perspective.
A native of Waverly, Iowa, Austin is the son of former Panther basketball standout Steve, and his wife Lisa Phyfe. He is also the older brother of former UNI swimmer Aftin Phyfe.
