Ohio Wesleyan University senior Jenna Ortega (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard West) won the highest honor at the 10th annual Dale J. Bruce Scholar-Athlete Awards Dinner, held on Thursday in the Benes Rooms of the Hamilton-Williams Campus Center on the Ohio Wesleyan campus.
Ortega, a member of the field hockey and women's lacrosse teams, received the Presidential Award, recognizing the University's top athlete and person. The top honor awarded by the Ohio Wesleyan athletics department, the Presidential Award is based on athletics ability and achievement, academic excellence, character, leadership, activities and inspiration.
Receiving Top Eight Awards were senior Sarah Bechtel (Bellefontaine), senior Mason Espinosa (Cookeville, Tenn.), senior Tamra Londot (Utica), senior Cam Pavey (Washington Court House/Miami Trace), senior Anthony Peddle (Shelby Township, Mich./Utica), senior Rayce Risser (Columbus Grove), junior Alex Webb (Tipp City/Tippecanoe), and senior Dre White (Lima/Bath).
The Top Eight Award is voted upon by the Ohio Wesleyan Athletics Council and is based upon the student-athlete's impact upon their family, their team, the University and the Delaware community. Bechtel is a member of the women's track & field team, Espinosa is a member of the football team, Londot is a member of the volleyball, women's basketball, and softball teams, Pavey is a member of the football team, Peddle is a member of the men's swimming team, Risser is a member of the football team, Webb is a member of the women's tennis team, and White is a member of the men's basketball team.
The Dr. Jay Martin Award, honoring the top male senior student-athlete, went to Espinosa.
The Nan Carney-DeBord Award, recognizing the top female senior student-athlete, went to Londot.
The Dr. Richard Gordin Award, recognizing the highest cumulative grade point average among senior male student-athletes, went to senior Ian McCaslin (Louisville, Ky./Saint Xavier).
The Mary Parker Award, recognizing the highest cumulative grade point average among senior female student-athletes, went to senior Meg Greff (Hopkinton, Mass.).
The James DiBiasio Sportsmanship Award went to junior Colton Bloecher (Lewis Center/Olentangy Orange), and the Mackenzie Conway Sportsmanship Award, went to Londot.
Also recognized were Ohio Wesleyan's top 50 student-athletes by cumulative grade point average. They were: sophomore Lonnie Barnes (Champaign, Ill./Centennial), senior Sarah Bechtel (Bellefontaine), junior Colton Bloecher (Lewis Center/Olentangy Orange), junior Colleen Bodee (Flossmoor, Ill./Homewood-Flossmoor), junior Sam Brooks (Hilliard/Worthington Christian), sophomore Lautaro Cabrera (Buenos Aires, Argentina), junior Calvin Cagney (Indialantic, Fla./Melbourne), senior Kay Cantwell (Louisville, Ky./Atherton), sophomore Aaron Caputo (Strongsville), sophomore Rachael Carter (Berthoud, Colo.), sophomore Chase Culbertson (Springfield/New Carlisle Tecumseh), sophomore Justin Dages (Green/Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary), junior Olivia DeMeio (Tallmadge), sophomore Matt DiCesare (Westerville/St. Francis DeSales), junior Landon Erb (Hilliard/Darby), senior Jennifer Erichsen (Farmington Hills, Mich./North Farmington), senior Mason Espinosa (Cookeville, Tenn.), junior Nick Fowler (Bethesda, Md./Johnson), senior Olivia Gillison (Philadelphia, Pa./Friends Central), sophomore Jessica Gooden (Lexington), senior Meg Greff (Hopkinton, Mass.), sophomore Meghan Guthrie (New Albany), junior Kevin Herman (Stow/Stow-Munroe Falls), sophomore Emily Julius (Avon), junior Ryan Kaplan (Alliance/Marlington), and junior Alexa Katrinchak (Elyria/Midview).
Also, sophomore Joey Kinsley (Rocky River), sophomore Claire Lofgren (Kirtland), junior Abbie Love (Bainbridge Island, Wash./Bainbridge), sophomore Nathan Madonich (San Bruno, Calif./South San Francisco), sophomore Macie Maisel (Chestertown, Md./Kent County), junior Emma Markey (Indianapolis, Ind./North Central), sophomore Dara Markus (St. Louis, Mo./Ursuline Academy), senior Ian McCaslin (Prospect, Ky./Saint Xavier), sophomore Venessa Menerey (Columbus/Upper Arlington), sophomore Katie Nunner (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier), sophomore Cameron Pappa (Gilroy, Calif./Kings Academy), junior Joyce Petersen (Avon/St. Joseph Academy), junior Kristie Prendergast (Westlake), senior Elizabeth Riggio (Itasca, Ill./Lake Park), junior Hannah Sampson (Kent/Roosevelt), sophomore Meghan Schulze (Johnstown/Johnstown-Monroe), sophomore Sara Scinto (Mentor), sophomore Haley Sheafor (Cornelius, N.C./NW Visual-Performing Arts), sophomore Tirion Sheafor (Cornelius, N.C./NW Visual-Performing Arts), junior Sarah Stachowiak (Westlake), junior Karli Sturgill (Lagrange/Keystone), sophomore C.J. Tosino (Hudson), junior Alexandra Webb (Tipp City/Tippecanoe), junior Caroline Welker (Delaware/Hayes), and senior Ben Witkoff (Columbus/Gahanna Lincoln).
The Bob Strimer Director's Cup, awarded to the Ohio Wesleyan team with the highest cumulative grade point average, was a tie between the women's soccer and field hockey teams.
The evening's festivities also included the presentation of the Town-Gown Award, given by the Ohio Wesleyan athletic department in recognition of longstanding relationships with and outstanding support of Ohio Wesleyan student-athletes and athletic programs. The award was presented to the City of Delaware.
The Alumni Recognition Award was presented to Mark Shipps '70.
The Dale J. Bruce Scholar-Athlete Awards Dinner is named in honor of Dale Bruce '52, an All-America football end at Ohio Wesleyan who has been a longtime supporter of Battling Bishop athletics.
