DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University athletic department honored its student-athletes Sunday, May 7, with the annual year end banquet presented by Daktronics. A wide array of awards and honors were handed out as the Bulldogs put the finishing touches on a successful 2016-17 season in competition and in the classroom.
Eight student-athletes were presented the MVC Presidents Council Award, for seniors or those within 18 hours of graduation, who have achieved a cumulative grade-point-average of 3.80 or higher and participated in athletics for a minimum of two years. Honored were AJ Rutter (men's basketball),
Caitlin Ingle (women's basketball),
Reed Fischer (men's cross country and track & field),
Shelby Varney (women's cross country and track & field),
Nick Manzoni (men's soccer),
Alex Prusa (men's soccer), Kaitlyn Finneran (softball) and
Capris Quaites (volleyball).
SAAC representatives
Madison Glennie and
Ben Troester recognized the 16 Bulldogs listed below who have maintained a cumulative GPA of 4.0.
Jacob Bacon, Football, Actuarial Science
Alison Burke, Women's Soccer, Accounting & Law
Ashlie Chambers, Softball, Master of Business Administration
Zachary Conroy, Men's Soccer, Biology
Linda Fiorito, Women's Soccer, Marketing
Nicholas Girardi, Men's Basketball, Neuroscience
Sigurlaug Jonsdottir, Women's Golf, Mathematics & Chemistry
Vanessa Kavan, Women's Soccer, Marketing
Isaiah Kent-Schneider, Football, Environmental Science
Haley Morris, Women's Soccer, Marketing & Advertising
Sara Rhine, Women's Basketball, Elementary Education
Amanda Roemmich, Softball, Biology
Allison Smith, Women's Soccer, Finance & International Business
Aleksi Tuominen, Men's Soccer, Health Science
Benjamin Troester, Men's Soccer, Accounting & Finance
Madison Glennie, Women's Golf, English & Law, Politics and Society
Drake's strength and conditioning staff also recognized its each team's top performer in the weight room as well as the department's strength and conditioning athletes of the year,
Odessa Cody (Volleyball) and
Eric Saubert (Football).
Below are the individual honorees from each sport.
Women's Basketball –
Cortni Rush
Men's Basketball –
Reed Timmer
Women's Soccer – Brook Salisbury
Men's Soccer –
Ben Troester
Volleyball –
Odessa Cody
Rowing – Gabrielle Brodek
Softball – Sarah Maddox
Women's Track and Field – Sammy Nielson
Men's Track and Field: Dominic Lombardi
Women's Cross Country –
Bailee Cofer
Men's Cross Country –
George Webb
Football –
Eric Saubert
Men's Golf:
Karter Smith
Women's Golf:
Aimee Gerschke
Men's Tennis:
Vinny Gillespie
Women's Tennis:
Joely Lomas
Cheer: Madeline Kinnick
The Bulldog Way Players' Choice Award, was presented for the fourth-consecutive year to an athlete from each team in the Drake athletic department, who has distinguished themselves on and off the field in living out the vision and values expressed in the Bulldog Way. Student-athletes were nominated by their teammates and the student-athlete receiving the most votes was recognized. They were:
Women's Basketball –
Caitlin Ingle
Men's Basketball –
A.J. Rutter
Cheerleading – Taylor Hamberg
Men's Cross Country and Track & Field –
Reed Fischer
Women's Cross Country at Track & Field –
Taryn Rolle
Football –
Sean Lynch
Men's Golf –
Kyle MacDonald
Women's Golf –
Madison Glennie
Rowing – Mikaela Janes
Men's Soccer –
Ben Troester
Women's Soccer –
Sarah Grace Nicholson
Softball – Maddy Hooyman
Men's Tennis –
Tom Hands
Women's Tennis –
Mela Jaglarz
Volleyball –
Grace Schofield
Following a brief dinner, the evening's keynote speaker, Terry Robinson, spoke about his journey as a Drake student-athlete and the transition to life after athletics. Robinson was a men's basketball student-athlete at Drake in the late 1980s and current co-founder of the LET Group.
Finally, Mr. Drake himself,
Paul Morrison, honored this year's four-year letterwinners. This year's honorees include 26 student-athletes that have reached one of the pinnacles of athletic success at Drake in earning a letter during all four years of competition and being among the finest of the more than 5,000 letterwinners that have represented Drake University. Below are those student-athletes that Mr. Morrison bestowed with fourth letter.
Jacob Enevold – Men's Basketball
Caitlin Ingle – Women's Basketball
Lizzy Wendell – Women's Basketball
Conley Wilkins – Football
Taylor Coleman – Football
Michael Roane – Football
Eric Saubert – Football
Caz Zyks – Football
Gabrielle Brodek – Rowing
Kerstin Donat – Rowing
Sarah Larson – Rowing
Ben LeMay – Men's Soccer
Darrin MacLeod – Men's Soccer
Mueng Sunday – Men's Soccer
Eric Williams – Men's Soccer
Kayla Armstrong – Women's Soccer
Brooke Dennis – Women's Soccer
Alex Freeman – Women's Soccer
Sarah Grace Nicholson – Women's Soccer
Kaitlyn Finneran – Softball
Maddie Hooyman – Softball
Megan Sowa – Softball
Reed Fischer – Track & Field
Johnathan Osifuye-White – Track & Field
Makena Schoene – Volleyball
Michelle Thommi – Volleyball
With spring sports still competing, the Bulldogs will announce additional awards during the annual Welcome Back Picnic in the fall. There, Drake will honor the Dixie Byers Comeback Player of the Year, the Howlett Awards given to the Student-Athletes of the Year, the Newcomer of the Year Award and the Bulldog Way Director's Cup.
