EIU Senior Student-Athletes Honored

Eastern Illinois Athletics celebrated the success of its senior student-athletes on Thursday night with the annual Honors Reception held in the Baker/Warmoth Hall of Champions in Lantz Arena.  As part of the evening EIU honored student-athletes for their academic honors with 16 student-athletes and support members earning the Presidential Honor, presented to graduating seniors with a 3.75 or higher cumulative GPA.   The department also handed out the University Awards for seniors graduating with a 3.5 to 3.74 GPA.
 
The highlighted award for the evening was the presentation of the EIU Athletic Director’s Award presented to the top senior male or female student-athlete that has represented the Panthers in athletic, academic and community arenas.  The finalists for this year’s EIU Athletic Director’s Award were Kelly Iden from women’s tennis, Riley McInerney from men’s cross country & track, and Chloe Wong from women’s golf.   McInerney was named this year’s EIU Athletic Director’s Award winner.
 
The Panthers announced the finalists for their Male & Female Senior Athlete of the Year and Male & Female Newcomer of the Year.  Those awards will be presented at the end of May following the completion of the Panthers 2016-17 athletic schedule.
 
The finalists for the Male Senior Athlete of the Year were Devin Church (football), Seth McDonald (football), Riley McInerney (xc/track), Demetrius McReynolds (basketball) and Jamal Robinson (track).
 
The finalists for the Female Senior Athlete of the Year were Erica Brown (basketball), Bryn Buckwalter (track), Ruth Garippo (xc/track), Kelly Iden (tennis) and Kristen Paris (xc/track).
 
The finalists for the Male Newcomer of the Year were Matt Albert (baseball), Alex Castaneda (soccer), Muusa Dama (basketball), Montell Goodwin (basketball), David Johnson (football) and Mitch Kimble (football).
 
The finalists for the Female Newcomer of the Year were Stella Cliffe (tennis), Mia Davis (softball), Rachel Manderscheid (swim), Haley Mitchell (softball) and Henar Urteaga (soccer).
 
The sixteen EIU Presidential Award winners for this year included Kelsie Abolt (Pink Panthers), Emily Brelsfoard (XC/Track), Jessie Fredenthaler (Swim), Kelly Iden (Tennis), Sydney Jarrard (Swim), Lindsey Marino (Soccer), Michael McCormick (Baseball), Riley McInerney (XC/Track), Lucas Nudelman (XC/Track), Lars Ott (Track), Austin Parrish (Swim), Ashlynne Paul (Softball), Cassandra Shaffer (XC/Track), Chase Thurston (Baseball), Amber Toenyes (Softball) and Chloe Wong (Golf).
 
The University Awards were presented to Madison Burgett (Golf), Sarah Cowger (Pink Panthers), Georgia Danos (Basketball), Sara Fisher (Rugby), Rachel Garippo (XC/Track), Ruth Garippo (XC/Track), Kaitlyn Hammock (Rugby), AJ Hantak (Football), Tori Harrison (Track), Deairelle Ivy (Rugby), Evan Kanz (Football), Paxson Menard (XC/Track), Greg Rogers (XC/Track), Kamile Stadalninkaite (Tennis), Kayla Thompson (Soccer).