Earlier this week, Briar Cliff University hosted its annual Champions of Character banquet, a celebration of sport, scholastic achievement and character. Nearly three hundred student-athletes gathered in the university's St. Francis Center to collectively look back upon the 2012-13 academic year and to recognize successes. Several awards were handed out throughout the evening including the male and female athlete of the year awards, the male and female scholar-athlete of the year awards, the male and female champion of character awards and the university's Most Inspirational Athlete of the Year Award.
The athlete of the year awards were handed out to student-athletes whose success in sport made them shining ambassadors for Briar Cliff, athletes who raised the bar, captured the attention of the community and made Charger Nation proud to bleed Blue & Gold. The recipient of this year's female athlete of the year award was Kelsey Evans. This past season, the all-American led the women's basketball team to a 25-10 record as she averaged 14.1 ppg with a team-high 43 blocked shots. The first team all-league choice also produced 77 assists and 62 steals. She led the Blue and Gold to four-straight NAIA Women's DII National Basketball Tournament appearances and finished her career with 1,345 points. The Willmar, Minn. native's jersey is currently on its way to Knoxville, Tenn. to hang in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame's Ring of Honor. Track superstar Raheem Cowan was the recipient of the male athlete of the year award as he has already put together a dominating performance this year. The sophomore form Hartwell, Georgia, captured indoor and outdoor GPAC triple jump crowns and also became Briar Cliff's second-ever NAIA National Champion as he won the triple jump at the NAIA Indoor Track and Field Championships. Cowan will represent the Chargers again in the triple jump at outdoor nationals, May 23-25, as he attempts to become the school's first male outdoor track national champion.
Also honored during the evening were those student-athletes who have show dedication in the classroom as well as in the athletic arena. Conference and national scholar-athletes were recognized and two student-athletes were selected as this year's scholar-athletes of the year. This year's female recipient of the Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award was a senior pre-med major from Odebolt, Iowa. She was a four-year member with the Blue and Gold golf squad, playing No. 2 or No. 3 throughout the season. With a perfect 4.0, the recipient of the Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award was Brittany Walsh. On the men's side, two scholar-athletes, John Engler and Dominic Wetzbarger, were honored as both had 3.9 cumulative grade point averages. Engler, a senior from Fort Dodge, Iowa, was a two-time NAIA Daktronics-Scholar Athlete, a consistent starter for the Charger cage program and will head off to law school in the fall. Wetzbarger was a junior member of Blue & Gold soccer team. The Sioux City, Iowa native, has been a starter in the Charger midfield and one of the program's leading point producers.
Each coach had the opportunity to nominate a Champion of Character from their own program, a student-athlete which they felt upheld the five core character values embraced by the NAIA; respect, integrity, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership. Of the 17 male and female nominees a committee decided on two student-athletes who deserved the title Champion of Character. This year's recipients are both dual-sport athletes. The 2013 Female Champion of Character Award went to Jayna Specht. The junior from Yankton, S.D., has been a three-year member of both the volleyball program and is also a member of the BC track program. The 2013 Male Champion of Character was awarded to Bryce Harshman. Harshman was a standout on both the football field and in the track arena. The senior from Tucson, Ariz., re-wrote multiple records as a wide receiver and also in the long jump. He also earned all-American accolades in the long jump at the NAIA Indoor national competition and will represent the Chargers again at outdoor nationals.
The Most Inspirational Athlete of the Year Award honors an athlete who inspires others with his or her performance and/or actions, perhaps by overcoming adversity, injury or heartbreak. The recipient of the 2013 Most Inspirational Athlete of the Year had a year to remember despite battling diabetes and challenges on the homefront. This year's recipient destroyed the Cliff's shot-put and discus marks and captured the GPAC indoor shot put title. She earned all-American accolades at this year's indoor national meet and will represent the Cliff at outdoor nationals as well. Tara Cockerill, a senior for Spaulding, Neb., was dubbed this year's Most Inspirational Athlete.
The evening also iincluded speeches by a few Charger student-athletes and recognition of record-breaking performances and those members of the Blue and Gold who received conference and national accolades throughout the year, including national qualifiers, all-Americans and national champions.
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