April 26, 2006

Ohio Wesleyan Honors Scholar-Athletes

Sarah Wall received the Presidential Award for the second straight year.  She is pictured with John Kercher '63, president of the Alumni "W" Association.

Ohio Wesleyan senior Sarah Wall won the highest honor at the second annual Dale J. Bruce Scholar-Athlete Awards Dinner, held on Thursday in the Benes Rooms of the Hamilton-Williams Campus Center.

Wall, a member of the women's soccer team, received the Presidential Award, recognizing the University's top athlete and person. The top honor awarded by the Ohio Wesleyan athletics department, the Presidential Award is based on athletics ability and achievement, academic excellence, character, leadership, activities, and inspiration. Wall, a three-time All-America and two-time Academic All-America® honoree in women's soccer, was awarded an NCAA Postgraduate scholarship earlier this year. 

"I'm not sure how deserving I am of all of (the awards)," Wall says, "but I am honored to receive every single one.  I don't feel any different – I feel blessed that I was able to be on the field at all.  Stepping on the practice field for the first time after getting out of the brace rivaled winning the national championship, but the times I've enjoyed the most were when the team was doing well, winning the national championship my freshman year, and the least was my sophomore year, when there was no trip to the playoffs.

"I love playing soccer – it's a team sport, and to get all 11 players doing the same thing is really something, which is why I'm coaching now."

Receiving Top Five Awards were senior Meggie Feran, senior Taneen Legree, senior Dan Melcher, senior Andy Warnock and senior Heidi Younker. The Top Five Award is voted upon by the Ohio Wesleyan Athletics Council and is based upon the student-athlete's impact upon their family, their team, the University and the Delaware community. Feran is a member of the women's track & field and cross country teams, Legree is a member of the field hockey team, Melcher is a member of the men's cross country and track & field teams, Warnock is a member of the men's basketball team and Younker is a member of the women's tennis team.

The Dr. Jay Martin Award, honoring the top male senior student-athlete, went to senior Ryan Martin, a member of the men's soccer team.

The Nan Carney-DeBord Award, recognizing the top female senior student-athlete, went to senior Linsey Longstreth, a member of the softball team.

The Dr. Richard Gordin Award, recognizing the highest cumulative grade point average among senior male student-athletes, went to senior Joshua Warner, a member of the men's cross country team.

The Mary Parker Award, recognizing the highest cumulative grade point average among senior female student-athletes, went to senior Megan First, a member of the women's cross country team.

Also recognized were Ohio Wesleyan's top 50 student-athletes by cumulative grade point average. They were: junior Dilshad Abeygunawardana, junior Laura Bange, senior Jori Bos, junior Megan Brake, junior Jackie Chapple, sophomore Jamison Dague, junior Jordan Darr, sophomore Zach Dennis, senior Sarah Downs, sophomore Caitlin Dugre, junior Maggie Ellis, junior Amy Fabritius, senior Meggie Feran, senior Megan First, junior Kevin Goehring, sophomore Steffi Graf, senior Cole Graham, senior Jamie Harden, sophomore Phil Hardymon, sophomore Laura Harper, junior Amanda Husted, sophomore Kadi Kuhlenberg, and junior Kevin Lehman.

Also, junior Claire Martin, senior Doug McCullough, senior Andrew McIlroy, junior Rachel Messaros, junior Andrea Minich, junior Seth Moore, sophomore Jessica Nare, junior Carly Palmer, sophomore Madeline Pinault, sophomore Chris Rasch, sophomore Dustin Rudegeair, sophomore Rachel Ryan, junior Marie Rymut, junior Mary Beth Scherer, junior Kelly Schlessman, sophomore Adam Schultz, sophomore Jessie Seaver, junior Kyle Sherman, junior Jillian Snyder, junior Kristen Snyder, junior Rasika Sridhar, senior Sarah Wall, senior Joshua Warner, senior Andy Warnock, junior Josh Warren, senior Heidi Younker, and junior Kelly Zampino.

The evening's festivities opened with the presentation of the inaugural Town-Gown Award, given by the Ohio Wesleyan athletic department and the Bishop Backers community support organization in recognition of longstanding relationships with and outstanding support of Ohio Wesleyan student-athletes and athletic programs. The inaugural award was presented to The Brown Jug Restaurant in downtown Delaware, with co-owners Bill Stroud and Ed Wolf accepting.

The Dale J. Bruce Scholar-Athlete Awards Dinner is named in honor of Dale Bruce '52, an All-America football end at Ohio Wesleyan who has been a longtime supporter of Battling Bishop athletics.

— Mark Beckenbach