By ISU Sports Information
NORMAL- Paris Lee and Jordan de los Reyes were named Illinois State’s Athletes of the Year, while Wes Ward and Rachel Root were named Scholar-Athletes of the Year Sunday at The Reggies, as Illinois State celebrated the success of its student-athletes during the 2016-17 academic year at the annual academic excellence awards ceremony, sponsored by State Farm.
Lee, a standout member of Illinois State’s 2016-17 Missouri Valley Conference regular season co-champion men’s basketball team, was named the Milt Weisbecker Male Athlete of the Year. The Jill Hutchison Female Athlete of the Year honor went to de los Reyes, who helped the Illinois State softball team earn a share of the MVC regular-season title.
Ward, representing Illinois State’s cross country and track and field teams, was named the Doug Collins Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Root, a member of Illinois State’s swimming and diving team, was chosen as the Linda Herman Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Other event winners Sunday night included Jake Kolbe, of the football team, who earned the Impact Award, which is given to a student-athlete who embodies a commitment to excellence.
Mitch Vogrin, of the baseball team, earned the Dr. Jim Johnson Phoenix Award, recognizing a student-athlete who has overcome academic challenges and made consistent academic progress.
Winning the Good Neighbor Award, presented to a student-athlete exemplifying commitment to excellence in academics, service and personal conduct, was Sara Stankoskey, of the soccer team. Stankoskey also won the award at The Reggies in 2016.
Sunday’s awards were presented by members of the administrative staffs at both Illinois State and State Farm, and included Illinois State President Dr. Larry Dietz and Director of Athletics Larry Lyons.
Illinois State student-athletes posted a combined grade-point average of 3.23 during each semester of the 2016-17 academic year, matching the departmental record each time. A total of 312 student-athletes were named to the AFNI Honor Roll during the Fall 2016 semester, while 295 earned the honor during the Spring 2017 semester.
In addition to their success in the classroom, Illinois State student-athletes provided over 3,000 hours of community service during the 2016-17 academic year.
