McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University hosted its 14th annual "Tommy Awards" on April 14 at the Shirk Center in Bloomington. The event, sponsored by the IWU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and State Farm Insurance, honored various athletes in several categories.

Lauren Huber from the women's basketball team and Evan Lowder from the men’s track and field team received the prestigious "Athlete of the Year" awards. The men's tennis team was recognized with the "Academic Team of the Year" award for achieving the highest overall grade-point average.

Griffin Pohl from the men’s golf team and triple jumper Imani Ogunribido from the women's cross country/track and field team were honored for Best Championship Performance. Lauren Huber was also acknowledged for the Best Record-Breaking Performance after setting a new all-time scoring record for the women's basketball team.

Gianna Certa of the softball team was named Breakthrough Athlete of the Year, while Josh Fridman and Hailey Milgazo were awarded Rookie of the Year honors. Best Clutch Performance awards were presented to men's basketball player Karlo Colak and softball player Casey Wissmiller.

The women's volleyball team's victory in the CCIW Tournament Championship earned them Female Best Game honors. Meanwhile, the men's golf team was recognized for its dominant performance in the CCIW Championship.

Norm Eash, a longtime head football coach, received a coach recognition award. The women’s volleyball team won the Do Good Now Award for their community service efforts, while Trey Bazzell was given the Fightin' Titan Award for his perseverance following a personal loss.

Student-athletes with the highest grade-point averages in their respective sports were also recognized, including Brady Kuehl (men’s basketball) and Jenna Gravitt (women’s soccer), among others.