The presentation of top male and female athlete awards along with doling out the annual Order of Titans awards to deserving senior student-athletes highlighted the fifth annual "Victory With Honor Senior Banquet", held Sunday night, April 24. To view the banquet on-demand, click here.
Women's swimmer Ellen Gilbert (Northbrook, Ill.-Glenbrook North) won the Barb Cothren Award, named in honor of longtime IWU coach and women's athletic administrator, while men's basketball player Matthew Leritz (St. Louis, Mo.-St. Louis University HS) received the Dennie Bridges Award, named for the longtime IWU coach and athletic director.
Men's basketball player Peter Lambesis (Mt. Prospect, Ill.-St. Viator) and softball player Hayley Earl (Washington, Ill.-Washington) were co-winners of the Jason Jones True Titan Award, presented to the senior student-athlete who represents the highest character as a member of the Titan Athletic Community. The award is named for the former Titan basketball and baseball standout, a 1991 graduate, who perished in a plane crash in April 2015.
Softball player Kaylee Bowers (Champaign, Ill.-Champaign Central) was the winner of the Steve Doran Award, presented to the senior student-athlete who performs the highest community service as a member of the Titan Athletic Community.The award is named for the 1979 graduate who was a Titan basketball player who became an oral surgeon locally and performed many humanitarian outreaches to perform oral surgery to the underprivileged in Haiti and Honduras. He died in December 2018 on a medical mission trip in Haiti.
The "Order of Titans" honorary members at Illinois Wesleyan are chosen annually by members of the coaching and physical education staff and are selected on the basis of academic accomplishments, athletic contributions, and general citizenship. The awards were presented to male athletes only until 1975 and women have been included as honorees since 1976. Order of Titans members receive lifetime passes to IWU home athletic events. To view a full list of Order of Titans honorees, click here.
The 2022 Order of Titans winners are:
WOMEN - Madi Corey - volleyball, Lexie Dorsey - cross country, Hayley Earl - softball, Landry Elliott - lacrosse, Ellen Gilbert - swimming & diving, Rebekah Harden - track & field, Emma Helferich - track & field, Cassandra Jones - lacrosse, Brooke Lansford - basketball, Courtney McAuliffe - volleyball, Jessica McCall - women's volleyball, Jenna Mirande - cross country, Bridget O'Malley - lacrosse, Colleen Palczynski - softball, Katie Vogler - track and field, Megan Wong - swimming & diving.
MEN - Jake Buhe - football, Daniel Dickerson - lacrosse, Cole Greer - baseball, Zack Kokes - soccer, Peter Lambesis - basketball, Matthew Leritz - basketball, Mason McCauley - swimming & diving, Jimmy Morton - golf, Paul Mucci - lacrosse, Jared Mutter - baseball, Davis Nguy - track & field, Cory Noe - basketball, Cole Paraday - track & field, Evan Ranneklev - baseball, Rick Smith - lacrosse, Demetrios Triantafel - tennis.
Additionally, Illinois Wesleyan recognized the 2021 awardwinners and Order of Titans inductees. Ayana Blair, an All-American thrower for the women's track and field team, and women's basketball standout Kendall Sosa were co-recipients of the Barb Cothren Award. The 2021 Division III Men's Golfer of the Year, Rob Wuethrich, took home the Dennie Bridges Award. Women's soccer player Sydney Pinder received the Steve Doran Award and baseball player Nick Watson garnered the Jason Jones Award.
The 2021 Order of Titans winners were:
WOMEN: Ayana Blair - track & field, Laurin Ebert - swimming & diving, Jackie Garcia - golf, Janaye Godfrey - lacrosse, Cameron Hindel - soccer, Peyton Howe - soccer, Kelli McCarthy - soccer, Sam Munroe - basketball, Katie North - cross country/track & field, Riley Rooney - lacrosse, Kendall Sosa - basketball, Maggie Torres - lacrosse, Cora Wilkinson - track & field, Kelsey Wyman - track & field.
MEN: Andrew Abel - golf, Zach Anderson - track & field, Charlie Bair - basketball, Max Bousky - lacrosse, Zach Mitchell - football, Mike Murphy - football, Michael Norwood - football, Bobby Reichert - soccer, Matt Wagner - cross country/track & field, Doug Wallen - basketball, Rob Wuethrich - golf, Emmett Zima - football.
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