Austin Kaut

Classroom

Austin Kaut has a 3.29 cumulative GPA as a business management student at Penn State. Kaut is a two-time member of the Academic All-Big Ten team.

Character

Austin, as the goalie, is the quarterback of the defense. He is able to lead by seeing the action in front of him and point out assignments. Outside of lacrosse, Austin lost his grandmother his senior year of high school. In memory of her, he grew out his hair for three years and his hair was a symbol of her memory and perseverance through tough times.

Community

Austin is active in the community with his teammates by hosting free clinics on campus at Penn State as well as back home in Springfield, Pa. He also volunteers at Houserville Elementary School in State College where he reads to students and plays games with the children at recess. Last year, Austin and his teammates organized Match4Kim, a Swab Drive to help teammate Drew Roper’s mother, Kim, who was fighting non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The swab drive was organized to help find a bone marrow match for Kim Roper. One success story from that drive is that of PSU men’s hockey player David Glen, who donated bone marrow in January after being matched in the swab drive.

Competition

Touted as the best goalkeeper in the nation, Kaut has already been selected as a preseason All-American and CAA Player of the Year. Last year Kaut started in all 17 games, earning the Ensign C. Markland Kelly, Jr. Award for collegiate lacrosse’s best goalie and USILA All-America First Team honors. He became the first Penn State player to earn first-team All-America honors in over 80 years in the process. He was also named CAA Player and Defensive Player of the Year along with a spot on the All-CAA First Team for the third straight year. Kaut posted a 12-5 record with a .610 save percentage, which ranked second in the nation, while registering the nation’s third-best goals-against average (7.37) and making a career-best 194 saves. Kaut saved 10 or more shots in 12 games along with three 16-save showings and allowed seven of less goals 10 times including games where he let in just 2 (vs. St. Joe’s) and 3 (vs. No. 7 Bucknell). Kaut currently ranks fifth all-time at PSU for career saves and is on pace to become the all-time saves leader later this year.