DELAWARE, Ohio – On Thursday, Ohio Wesleyan University Athletics student-athletes, staff, administration, faculty, family, and friends gathered at the Hamilton-Williams Campus Center for the 22nd annual Dale J. Bruce Scholar-Athlete Awards Banquet. The annual event – named in honor of the late Dale Bruce '52, a football All-American who was a longtime supporter of Battling Bishops athletics – recognizes the top Ohio Wesleyan student-athletes for their work on the field of competition as well as in the classroom.
The highest honor of the evening – the Dale J. Bruce Presidential Award, celebrating OWU's top athlete and person – was awarded to field hockey senior midfielder
Alyssa Markell. The Presidential Award is based on athletic ability and achievement, academic excellence, character, leadership, involvement, and inspiration.
Markell was also a recipient of one of the Top Ten Awards alongside volleyball senior setter
Lily Bechina, women's lacrosse senior defender
Abbie Grogan, women's swimming & diving senior
Maddie Hoyt, Football seniors
Josh Hurst and
Jake Smothers, softball senior pitcher
Makenna Knisley, women's basketball junior forward
Macy Miller, women's soccer senior goalkeeper
Natalie Ryan, and women's cross country and track & field junior
Zoe Ward. The Top Ten Award is voted upon by the Ohio Wesleyan Athletic Council and recognizes the 10 student-athletes who best represent the Ohio Wesleyan Athletics Department in a positive manner through their athletic ability, scholarship, community service, campus activities, character and leadership.
The Dr. John Martin and Nan Carney-DeBord Awards – recognizing the top male and female student-athlete – were awarded to Markell and men's lacrosse senior faceoff specialist
Noah Citek.
The Dr. Richard Gordin and Mary Parker Awards – recognizing the male and female graduating student-athletes with highest cumulative grade point average – were awarded to men's basketball senior guard
Isaac Ward as well as women's swimming and diving seniors Hoyt and
Anna Haines, and women's basketball senior forward
Katie Neuhart.
The James DiBiasio and Mackenzie Conway Sportsmanship Awards were presented to Knisley and men's lacrosse senior goalkeeper
Will White.
The Bob Strimer Director's Cup – recognizing the team with the highest cumulative grade point average – was awarded to women's cross country.
Also recognized were Ohio Wesleyan's Top 50 – the student-athletes with the highest cumulative grade point average. In alphabetical order:
Aidan Bates,
Lily Bechina,
Marcus Bode,
Reagan Brake,
Carson Browning,
Alex Bzdafka,
Noah Citek,
Shae Cretu,
Allison Dietz,
Stepan Dobrianskyi,
Maisie Dugger,
Kennedy Elfers,
Sam Frary,
Izzy Fry,
Anna Haines,
Jackie Harper,
Hailey Harris,
Camryn Henderson,
Zach Hertzberg,
Jera Hoy,
Maddie Hoyt,
Catherine Kent,
Will Kepple,
Carly Lehman,
Scarlett Loevenguth,
Izzy MacLellan,
Elisabeth Madore,
Macy Miller,
Brianna Montgomery,
Connor Morgan,
Lukas Muench,
Katie Neuhart,
Taylor Noszka,
Frankie Nuss,
Paddy O'Reilly,
Ethan Payne,
Coral Pierson,
Austin Roberts,
Anthony Rocco,
Ian Sander,
Mike Seney,
Tanner Sir Louis,
Nate Snead,
Angela Soellner,
Colby Sprague,
Graham Stadtler,
Megan Tooill,
Owen Tornow,
Claire Wakim,
Isaac Ward,
Zoe Ward,
Sarah Youngquist, and
Ryan Zonts.
Finally, the ceremony saw 37 Battling Bishops inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma – the national collegiate student-athlete honor society. Five were inducted from women's basketball:
Macy Miller,
Carly Lehman,
Camryn Brunner,
Mia Guscoff,
Katie Neuhart, and
Nora Johns. Nine were inducted from cross country and track & field:
Perry Jackson,
Lucas Weaver,
Sophie Cotts,
Annika DeLong,
Allison Dietz,
River Hamilton,
Brianna Montgomery,
Zoe Ward, and
Alyssa Henry. Four were inducted from field hockey:
Grace Ammon,
Annabel Fauver,
Catherine Kent, and
Payton Mindel. Three were inducted from football:
Chris Burns,
Carson Rust,
Bryan Hines Jr., and
Connor Asbury. Two were inducted from women's lacrosse:
Grace Gagne and
Cadence Jobe. Four were inducted from women's soccer:
Alex Foster,
Taylor Noszka,
Kaia Vorenkamp, and
Jordyn Adams. Three were inducted from softball:
Rylea Gist,
Megan Tooill, and
Chameron Vanden Eynden. Three were inducted from swimming & diving:
Ian Sander,
MacKenzie Carter, and
Anna Haines. And three were inducted from volleyball:
Avery Krause,
Natalie Dieball, and
Mason Campbell.
