Also on Tuesday, the CCIW announced its Merle Chapman Leadership Award winners following bocce with Special Olympics Illinois.
Carthage senior track & field athlete
Kevin Plazak
NAPERVILLE, Ill. – For the third consecutive year and fourth time since 2012, the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) hosted Special Olympics Illinois for a game of bocce during the CCIW SAAC’s spring workshop on Tuesday.
CCIW student-athletes and Special Olympics Illinois athletes gathered at North Central College’s practice fields for a friendly game of bocce, followed by a joint luncheon.
In 2012, Special Olympics Illinois and the CCIW SAAC participated in a bocce ball exercise during a two-day leadership workshop, eventually leading to the current three-year run that began in 2014.
“The CCIW SAAC’s relationship with Special Olympics Illinois has thrived since we began working with them in 2012,” CCIW commissioner Chris Martin said. “Tuesday’s event continues to be well received on both sides as evidenced by the amount of positive engagement between our SAAC and Special Olympics on the bocce courts. The CCIW highly values its relationship with Special Olympics Illinois and looks forward to more interaction in the future.”
Millikin sophomore women's basketball
athlete Maxine Krol
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.
The Merle Chapman Leadership Award winners were given certificates and recognized by the institutional SAAC advisors during Tuesday’s workshop and luncheon.
2015-16 Merle Chapman Award Winners
Augustana
Andrea McNally (Basketball)
Brandon Motzel (Basketball)
Carthage
Mackenzie Ryan (Swimming)
Ryan Jump (Tennis)
Elmhurst
Courtney O’Keeffe (Soccer)
Andy Warsen (Football)
Illinois Wesleyan
Jill Harmon (Track & Field)
Artie Checchin (Football)
Millikin
Jamie Michl (Cross Country/Track & Field)
Taylor Sanders (Football)
North Central
Amanda Walker (Volleyball & Softball)
Connor Sass (Tennis)
North Park
Katy Ortinau (Softball)
Chandler Avila (Track & Field)
Wheaton
Kirsten Nitz (Swimming)
Matt Snebold (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 2014-15 academic year, the CCIW honored over 1,500 academic all-conference recipients, 19 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, 46 CoSIDA Academic All-District recipients and 102 all-Americans.