Baseball 5/9/2024 11:21:00 AM

Millikin Student-Athletes Recognized during Honors Convocation

DECATUR, Illinois—The Millikin University campus community gathered for its annual Honors Convocation and Distinguished Faculty Lecture on April 26 at the Kirkland Fine Arts Center.

Several Millikin student-athletes were honored as part of the over 90 awards that were presented to Millikin students and faculty for their commitment to the pursuit of academic excellence. Many of the awards have been created to honor people of Millikin's past.

Among the awards is the Scovill Prize, the most coveted recognition of Honors Convocation. Scovill Prize winners are selected on the basis of high academic achievement, demonstrated leadership, service and scholarship. Junior women's soccer player Kelsey Jacobs (Mahomet, Mahomet Seymour H.S.) and junior women's basketball player Maggie Schrage (Breese, Breese Central H.S.) were among those students receiving the award. In addition, Schrage received the Thomas W. & Mary R. Adney Memorial Award and the Dr. Jan Devore Award for Excellence.

Other Millikin student-athletes receiving awards are listed below:

Junior softball player Madeline Regan (Frankfort, Lincoln Way East H.S.) won the Behavioral Science Award, the Department of Modern Languages Literary Criticism Award and the Major Thomas G. Storey Citizenship Award.

Senior cross country and track athlete Jessel Prabhu (Saint Anne, Mo., Pattonville H.S.) won the Biology Honors Award.

Senior cross country and track athlete Alyssa Ruiz (San Diego, Calif., Junipero Serra H.S.) received the Dr. Neil Baird Biology Lab Award.

Junior Alayna Chizmark (Joliet, Joliet Township West H.S.) and senior women's soccer player Sophie Dorgan (Bloomington, University H.S.), freshman volleyball player Gracie Shaffer (Farmer City, Blue Ridge H.S.), freshman volleyball player Emma Taylor (Breese, Breese Central H.S.) and freshman softball player Ava Zukowski (Palos Heights, Amos Alonzo Stagg H.S.) were each presented the Ed & Lucy Acheson Award for Chemistry.

Senior cross country and track athlete Katie Risner (Avon, Ind., H.S.) won the Carl & Lucille Weatherbee Chemistry Award and the Aspiring Healthcare Professionals Award.

Senior cross country and track athlete Grace Talbert (Monticello, H.S.) won the Dr. Grace Patten Conant Writing Award (Creation).

Sophomore track and field athlete Kemper Koslofski (Decatur, Mt. Zion H.S.) received the Marybeth Drechsler Sharp Outstanding Journalism Award.

Junior football player Brennan Pekelder (Joliet, Minooka H.S) won the Albert T. Mills Prize.

Senior swimmer Analynn Bullock (Kansas City, Mo., Center H.S.) and senior cross country and track athlete Jake Shumaker (Decatur, Mt. Zion H.S.) won the Mathematics & Computer Science Award. Shumaker also received the Podeschi-Landacre Management Information Systems Award.

Junior baseball player Maxwell Thompson (Gurnee, Warren Township H.S.) won the Linda Weatherbee Mathematics Award.

Senior track athlete Krista Koke (Havana, H.S.) won the Outstanding Political Science Award.

Senior baseball player JD Raycraft (Riverton, IMG Academy) received a T.W. Samuels Award.

Junior football player Ean Haggerty (Bloomington, H.S.) was presented the Outstanding Physics Award.

Junior cross country and track athlete Hannah Roberts (River Forest, Ill.) received a Dorothy Sellers Art Award.

Senior baseball player Ryan Janssen (Nokomis, H.S.) won the Dr. Jerald Hunt/Dr. Darlene Hoffman Award for Excellence and the Eshelman Family Award.

Senior women's soccer player Bailee Blecker (Loves Park, Harlem H.S.) received the Jola Kuntz Education Award.

Junior tennis player Paiton Plucinski (Island Lake, Wauconda H.S.) received the Ray Boehmer Memorial Award for Excellence in Science Education.

The Smith/Orlandini Award for students in Exercise Science went to junior track and field athlete Zena Roberts (Richton Park, Rich Central H.S.).

Junior baseball players Kyle Gibson (Niles, Niles West H.S.) and Liam McGill (Bloomington, H.S.) along with junior women's basketball player Rachel Holthaus (Pana, H.S.) received the Walter Witt Award to outstanding juniors in Exercise Science.

Senior cross country and track athlete Quincy Collings (Mattoon, H.S.) won the Decatur Memorial Hospital Cleland Award and the Daniel J. and Elinor Gage Student Activities Award.

Senior women's soccer player Faith Marinier (Palos Park, Amos Alonzo Stagg H.S.) won the James Millikin Theory & Practice of Nursing Award.

Senior women's basketball player Elyce Knudsen (Philo, Tolono Unity H.S.) won the Glen R. Smith Award.

Junior Danny Lack (Champaign, Centennial H.S.) received the Dr. Cheryl L. Chamblin Tabor School of Business Honors Award.

Senior softball player Charly Warlow (Le Roy, Le Roy H.S.) received the Judy Lederbrand Day Accounting Award for graduating senior female accounting major.

Senior football player Christopher Montgomery (Chicago, Gary Comer Prep H.S.) won the Helen Moffett Russell Community Service Award.

Sophomore cross country and track runner Emma Mallory (Decatur, Mt. Zion H.S.) received the Linda Weatherbee Human Resource Management Award.

Senior triathlete and swimmer Shay Buchanan (Orlando, Florida, Trinity Prep H.S.) won the Podeschi-Landacre Management Information Systems Award.

Sophomore volleyball player Tristia Hampton (Farmington, Mo., H.S.) won a JoAnne Trow Award.

Sophomore cross country and track athlete Quartus Rassi (Darien, Hinsdale South H.S.) received a Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Illinois Chapter Award of Excellence.

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Players Mentioned

#5 Christopher Montgomery: DL; 6' 2"; Senior

#86 Brennan Pekelder: TE; 6' 1"; Junior

Shay Buchanan: Senior

#7 Bailee Blecker: F; 5' 6"; Senior

#1 Sophie Dorgan: GK; 5' 8"; Senior

#28 Kelsey Jacobs: D; 5' 10"; Junior

#29 Faith Marinier: M; 5' 10"; Senior

Paiton Plucinski: Junior

#5 Rachel Holthaus: G; 5' 6"; Sophomore

#22 Elyce Knudsen: G; 5' 8"; Senior

Maggie Schrage: C; 6' 2"; Sophomore

#44 Charly Warlow: P/IF; 5' 8"; Senior; R/R

Players Mentioned

#5 Christopher Montgomery
: 6' 2"; Senior
: DL

#86 Brennan Pekelder
: 6' 1"; Junior
: TE

Shay Buchanan
: Senior

#7 Bailee Blecker
: 5' 6"; Senior
: F

#1 Sophie Dorgan
: 5' 8"; Senior
: GK

#28 Kelsey Jacobs
: 5' 10"; Junior
: D

#29 Faith Marinier
: 5' 10"; Senior
: M

Paiton Plucinski
: Junior

#5 Rachel Holthaus
: 5' 6"; Sophomore
: G

#22 Elyce Knudsen
: 5' 8"; Senior
: G

Maggie Schrage
: 6' 2"; Sophomore
: C

#44 Charly Warlow
: 5' 8"; Senior; R/R
: P/IF