Springfield, Ohio – Wittenberg’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) celebrated its 10th anniversary of the Tiger Awards, which annually recognize excellence in athletic and academic performance by Wittenberg University student-athletes. Awards representing achievement during the 2015-16 school year were handed out during a dinner and banquet in the HPER Center on Thursday, April 21.

Hundreds of Tiger student-athletes and coaches attended the banquet, which is organized and led annually by SAAC members. Voting by SAAC members and members of the university’s Department of Athletics resulted in 22 different team and individual awards encompassing a wide range of athletic, academic and extracurricular achievements.

In addition to the Tiger Awards, 40 inductees into Wittenberg's chapter of the national student-athlete honorary Chi Alpha Sigma were recognized, as were senior football wide receiver Corey Stump (Lima, Ohio/Central Catholic) and senior women’s volleyball outside hitter Kara Seidenstricker (London, Ohio/Jonathan Alder), Wittenberg's 2016 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Scholar Athlete award-winners.

Tiger Award recipients for the 2015-16 school year included:

Male and Female Newcomer of the Year Awards – freshman men’s swimmer Sam Bott (Des Moines, Iowa/Dowling) and freshman field hockey forward Blaine Donnelly (Hanover, Md./Archbishop Spalding)

Male and Female Tiger Spirit Awards, given to one male and one female who best supports and encourages Wittenberg student-athletes – senior women’s volleyball defensive specialist Callan Swaim (Mooresville, Ind./Mooresville) and senior football offensive lineman Tyler Jeffers (Jackson, Ohio/Jackson)

Male and Female Extracurricular Athlete of the Year Awards, given in recognition of students’ outstanding performance in the classroom, involvement in honoraries, clubs and organizations outside of varsity athletics and excellence in competition – senior football offensive lineman Alec Nutting (Lakeland, Fla./Lakeland) and senior women’s track and field hurdler/jumper Jordan Crow (North Las Vegas, Nev./Palo Verde)

Male and Female Academic-Athlete Awards – sophomore women’s lacrosse attacker Victoria Zysik (Perrysburg, Ohio/Perrysburg) and senior football wide receiver Corey Stump (Lima, Ohio/Central Catholic)

Male and Female Record-Breaking Athlete Awards – senior lacrosse attackman Andrew Fuss (New Albany, Ohio/Gahanna Lincoln) and senior women’s track and field sprinter Brea Medlock (Galena, Ohio/Big Walnut)

Male and Female Best Overall Athlete – junior women’s golfer Macy Hubbard (Mason, Ohio/Mason) and senior football wide receiver Corey Stump (Lima, Ohio/Central Catholic)

Male and Female Collegiate Achievement Awards – senior football defensive lineman Josh Bannick (Enon, Ohio/Greenon) and senior women’s volleyball outside hitter Kara Seidenstricker (London, Ohio/Jonathan Alder)

Most Improved Team Awards – softball and men’s basketball

Male and Female Coach’s Awards – men’s lacrosse head coach Jay Owen and women’s volleyball head coach Paco Labrador

Best Team Performance – women’s volleyball, which won the 2015 NCAC regular season and tournament championships and advanced all the way to the NCAA Division III Tournament championship match.

New to the program in 2016 were awards for the Faculty Supporter of the Year and Staff Supporter of the Year, which are given to individuals who show continued support and dedication to student-athletes. The first-ever Faculty Supporter of the Year went to Associate Professor of Education Brian Yontz and the first-ever Staff Supporter of the Year went to Assistant Athletic Trainer Molly Hopkins.

Witten-spiration Award, given to a student-athlete who has risen above and beyond unusual circumstances to be an inspiration to all around them – women’s basketball team member Roz Abbott (Sidney, Ohio). Roz is a five-year-old who suffers from epilepsy and encephalitis. She joined the Tigers midway through the 2015-16 season through the support of Team IMPACT, an organization that strives to “improve the quality of life for children facing life-threatening and chronic illnesses through the power of team.”

The event marked the final SAAC meeting of the 2015-16 school year. SAAC is an organization that represents and advocates the interests of Wittenberg student-athletes to the rest of the university community. Through bi-weekly meetings, student-athletes are able to network and organize events.

Written By: Ryan Maurer