Students to be honored at Athletic Hall of Fame and Athletic Awards Ceremony
Mount Pleasant, IA - April 10, 2018 - The Iowa Wesleyan University Athletic Department is excited to announce the finalists for the student athlete awards that will be presented at the Athletic Hall of Fame and Athletic Awards Ceremony on Friday, April 27th, 2018. The awards that will be presented this year include Male and Female Athlete of the Year, Male and Female Scholar Athlete of the Year, and the Tiger Service Award.
“We are excited to bring back the Student Athlete Awards during the Athletic Hall of Fame and Awards Ceremony. We have so many student athletes that do such a tremendous job representing the University that it is only fitting to be able to recognize them this way,” said Derek Zander, Director of Athletics at Iowa Wesleyan. “The Athletic Hall of Fame and Awards Ceremony has been a great way to honor the student-athletes that have come before us, but it is also important to recognize the students that are on campus right now doing so many good things for Iowa Wesleyan.”
The finalists for Female Athlete of the Year are Grace Alongi and Darby Massner. Alongi led the women’s soccer team this season with 16 goals scored, which is an IW single season record. She also broke the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) record of goals scored in a game with seven. Alongi earned United States Collegiate Athletic Conference (USCAA) First Team All-American honors, one of two freshman to receive the honor. Massner led the women’s basketball team this season with an average of 14.7 points per game and USCAA Honorable Mention All-American honors. She also earned SLIAC Second Team All-Conference honors. Massner was named Third Team College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-American honors and First Team CoSIDA Academic All-District honors this season. She moved into second place in the IW record books for career three point field goals made. Massner was also recognized for her hard work in the classroom, earning SLIAC Winter All-Academic Team Honors and USCAA National All-Academic honors.
The Male Athlete of the Year finalists are Brock Butler and Kiley Miller. Brock Butler had arguably his best season of his career at Iowa Wesleyan this year. He was a USCAA First Team All-American, as well as SLIAC First Team All-Conference after averaging 27 points per game. He was one of the top offensive threats in the conference this year, leading the league in points scored and made field goals. Butler recorded nine games with over thirty points scored, including a career high 46 points against Blackburn and a 45 point performance against MacMurray. He finished his career at IW in seventh on the all-time scoring list with 1,573 points, is fourth in free throw percentage (79.2) and second in three point field goals made (233). Kiley Miller has led the men’s golf team this season with six top ten finishes, including two first place finishes and two top three finishes. Miller will look to defend his 2017 SLIAC Medalist honors during the conference tournament in two weeks.
There are three finalists for the Female Scholar Athlete of the Year award this year. Allegra Collette, Caitlyn Welch, and Sheridan Gealow. Allegra Collette is a member of the volleyball team and is highly involved on campus, as well as in the community. She is a resident advisor, a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, and Orientation Crew to name a few. She also holds a part time job and is active through her church worship team. Collette manages to maintain a 3.99 grade point average, despite being involved in so many activities. She received USCAA National All-Academic honors, as well as SLIAC Fall All-Academic team honors. Caitlyn Welch is a dual sport athlete, participating in both women’s soccer and women’s basketball. She earned USCAA All-Academic Team honors for both women’s soccer and women’s basketball and was named to the SLIAC Fall and Winter All-Academic teams with a 3.71 grade point average. She is also active in the Teacher Education program and a member of the Teacher Education Committee. Sheridan Gealow is a member of the softball team, as well as a member of the Teacher Education program at IW. She maintains a 3.91 grade point average while being a member of the Student Government Association, student teaching, a member of Orientation Crew, and Student Union Board President.
The Male Scholar Athlete finalists are Christian Henriksen, Alex Payne, Brock Butler, and Jorge Sierra. Christian Henriksen is a member of the Iowa Wesleyan football team and has a hand in a variety of organizations on campus, including Choir, Jazz Band, IW Football Servant Leaders Council, SAAC, and CRU (a Christian organization for college and university students). He also preaches and plays music for the student led worship service, as well as occasionally preaching at the Open Bible Church in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. Although he is involved in so many activities, Henriksen holds a 3.97 grade point average. Alex Payne is a dual sport athlete, playing both football and baseball for the Tigers. He is a Pre-Med major, maintaining a 3.61 grade point average, while being a Student Ambassador and participating in the President’s Leadership Council. Payne is also a member of the Mount Pleasant Masonic Lodge. Brock Butler is also a dual sport athlete at IW. He participates in both men’s golf and men’s basketball. Butler serves as a Resident Assistant in the dorms and was on the Orientation Crew, as well as a member of SAAC. Butler’s cumulative grade point average is a 3.77. Jorge Sierra is a member of the men’s soccer team and is a Sports Management major at Iowa Wesleyan. He maintains a 3.79 grade point average and earned USCAA National All-Academic honors and SLIAC All-Academic team honors this fall.
The final student athlete award that will be presented at the ceremony is the Tiger Service Award. Christian Henriksen, Allegra Collette, and Travis Gile have been named finalists for this award. Christian Henriksen serves the IW community in many ways through the campus organizations he is involved in. He has also been involved in many service projects through athletics, including Feed my Starving Children with the football team, and volunteering at the Hy-Vee Easter Egg Hunt. His service extends beyond IW by periodically preaching at the Open Bible Church in Mt. Pleasant and serving on the Open Bible Church Worship team. Allegra Collette can be found volunteering through campus organizations as part of the Orientation Crew and as a member of SAAC. She is also involved through her church, attending mission trips every year. Travis Gile is a member of the IW SAAC and is also president of the SLIAC SAAC, and has participated in many service projects through these groups. All three of these individuals represent the campus community in a positive manner and have been unofficial spokespeople for the University when called upon.
These awards will be presented at the Iowa Wesleyan Hall of Fame event on Friday, April 27 in the Howe Student Activities Center in Ruble Arena. Go to iw.edu/hall-of-fame for more information.
Tiger Athletics: Iowa Wesleyan University strives to provide its student-athletes the opportunity to be successful in life and sports. Engaged in the SLIAC and UMAC Conferences, Tiger athletics is a proud member of NCAA Division III.
