Akron U's Zippy is No. 1 mascot

Zippy, the University of Akron kangaroo, was named the Capital One Mascot of the Year.

The announcement was nationally televised during halftime of the Capital One Bowl game Tuesday.

Zippy made page A1 in today’s Beacon Journal.

An outpouring of support from fans, friends and alumni carried the fuzzy marsupial over second-place finisher Goldy Gopher of the University of Minnesota.

UA Director of Athletics Mack Rhoades said the school is grateful to the thousands of Zips fans who cast their votes in the online popularity contest.

''This award is testament to the strength and loyalty of our fan base and is something we can all share and be proud of,'' he said. In addition to winning the title,

Zippy's victory secured a $10,000 scholarship fund from Capital One to support the UA mascot program.

According to UA's Web site, Zippy the kangaroo was declared the university's mascot on May 1, 1953, having been recommended by a committee and approved by the student council. Click on the headline to read the full story by Paula Schleis