OXFORD – Craig “Alex” Champlin will be another feather in the cap of the United States Military Academy come this fall.

Champlin is already the prize plume for Oxford and its basketball team. A dedicated student at the top of his class, a volunteer who gives away his time freely to help others, it’s hard to believe he has time to brush up on his basketball game.

Yet he finds time to hard at it – like everything he does – and is leading the Blackhawks toward a third straight MAC divisional championship. A third-year varsity player who is approaching 800 career points, Champlin has proven almost unstoppable this season. He leads Chenango County scorers at 20.6 points per game, leads his own team in rebounding, steals and field goal percentage, and is perhaps the most well-rounded basketball player in Chenango County this season.

“He played for us in the Stars and Stripes Classic last year, and he played all five positions for us,” said Norwich coach Mark Abbott, who has also coached against Champlin and the Blackhawks the last three seasons. “He just loves basketball and he gives you everything he’s got. He’s a great player and even a better person.”

Champlin will begin his West Point appointment in the fall, but in the meantime, he has work left to do in his final year of school. The Blackhawks are in the midst of a 10-game winning streak, and will likely clinch the MAC Division II title this weekend or early next week.

For his season-long excellence, Champlin is this week’s Smith Ford LLC/Evening Sun Athlete of the Week.