NAPERVILLE, Ill. – The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) conducted its end-of-the-year workshop on Tuesday, hosting Special Olympics Illinois for the second consecutive spring.
CCIW student-athletes and Special Olympics Illinois athletes teamed up for a game of bocce ball on North Central’s practice fields, marking the third time in CCIW history that the two groups teamed up for such an event.
In 2012, Special Olympics Illinois and the CCIW SAAC participated in a bocce ball exercise during a two-day leadership workshop, eventually leading to a reunion in 2014, followed by Tuesday’s event.
Special Olympic athlete Kristen McInerney kicked off Tuesday’s activities with a presentation on her time with the organization, followed by a review of bocce rules with the athletes in attendance.
“The CCIW has had the chance to work with Special Olympics three times in the last four years and it has always been an enjoyable and rewarding experience,” CCIW commissioner Chris Martin said. "We look to grow our relationship with Special Olympics and see this partnership only moving forward in the years to come.”
Also on Tuesday, the CCIW recognized its Merle Chapman Leadership Award winners. The award, which began during the 2002-03 academic year, is named after the long time football coach/athletics director at Millikin University and the second commissioner of the CCIW. Chapman served in that capacity from 1997-2002.
This award identifies the student-athletes that best exemplify the traits that Chapman displayed and encouraged during his three-plus decades of service as teacher, coach and mentor to the athletes, coaches and administrators of the CCIW. Those traits are loyalty, enthusiasm, leadership, sportsmanship, and a commitment to academic, athletic and personal excellence.
2014-15 CCIW Merle Chapman Award Winners
Augustana
Emily Pavlik – Augustana (Lacrosse)
Jon Pape – Augustana (Lacrosse)
Carthage
Becca McMullin (Track & Field)
Jon Storm (Volleyball)
Elmhurst
Peggy Clemens (Volleyball)
Andy Warsen (Football)
Illinois Wesleyan
Maddie Greybar (Volleyball/Track & Field)
Dylan Overstreet (Basketball)
Millikin
Holly Haskins (Basketball)
Sean Beal (Baseball)
North Central
Andrea Starr (Softball)
Adam Winters (Tennis)
North Park
Alexa Baker (Track & Field)
David Anderson (Track & Field)
Wheaton
Kelsey Graham (Soccer)
Spencer Clark (Football)
Twitter & Instagram: @CCIW_Athletics
The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) was founded in 1946 and currently services eight member institutions including Augustana College (Rock Island, IL), Carthage College (Kenosha, WI), Elmhurst College (Elmhurst, IL), Illinois Wesleyan University (Bloomington, IL), Millikin University (Decatur, IL), North Central College (Naperville, IL), North Park University (Chicago, IL) and Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL). During the 2013-14 academic year, the CCIW honored over 1,400 academic all-conference recipients, 14 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, 33 CoSIDA Academic All-District recipients and 87 all-Americans.