Briar Cliff University recently hosted its annual Champions of Character banquet, a celebration of sport, scholastic achievement and character. Over three hundred student-athletes gathered in the university's St. Francis Center to collectively look back upon the 2013-14 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 Cliff'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 senior volleyball player Monica Boeding. Boeding was named an NAIA Daktronics Scholar Athlete, an all-Region all-American, as well as a first team all-Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) and academic all-conference selection. This past fall, she led the Chargers in kills with 461 and led the Cliff to the national tournament, where the Chargers registered the program's first-ever NAIA National Tournament win, a 3-1 victory over 14th-ranked Westmont. She also totaled 348 digs, 31 blocks, 31 ace serves and 17 assists on the season. Track superstar Raheem Cowan was the recipient of the male athlete of the year award for the second year in a row as he has already put together another dominating performance this year. The junior was a two-time all-American during the indoor track season. The defending indoor national triple jump champion finished second in the nation this year with a best jump of 15.19m, while also grabbing all-American honors as part of the Chargers' 4x400m relay team which finished fourth in the nation with a time of 3:15.79. In his three years at BC, he is undefeated in the triple jump in GPAC meets, winning both the indoor and outdoor crowns. This year, he also earned all-conference during the indoor season in the 4x400m relay and the long jump and in the outdoor season in the 400m dash, the 4x400m relay and the long jump.
Also honored during the evening were those student-athletes who have shown 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 BC's Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award was a junior cheerleader from Des Moines, Iowa. She was a three-year member with the Blue and Gold cheer squad. With a stellar 3.96 GPA, the recipient of the Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award was Abby Buckhouse. On the men's side, for the second year in a row, Dominic Wetzbarger was honored as the male recipient of the Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award with a 3.93 cumulative grade point average. Wetzbarger, a senior midfielder for the men's soccer team and a Sioux City native is also a two-time NAIA Daktronics Scholar Athlete. This past fall, Wetzbarger started all 18 games for the Chargers, while recording one goal and one assist.
Each BC coach nominated 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 three student-athletes who most deserved the title Champion of Character. The 2013 Female Champion of Character Award went to Grace McElroy. The senior from Dakota Dunes, S.D., has been a four-year member of Briar Cliff cheer team. Two athletes were deemed worthy of the 2013 Male Champion of Character was awarded as Wetzbarger and fellow soccer player Mark Samuelson shared the honor. Wetzbarger, a senior midfielder for the men's soccer team and a Sioux City native, is also two-time NAIA Daktronics Scholar Athlete. This past fall, Wetzbarger started all 18 games for the Chargers, while recording one goal and one assist. Samuelson, a senior defender from Sioux City, was an all-conference honorable selection as he started all 18 games for BCU and took 12 shots while scoring two goals.
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 2014 Most Inspirational Athlete of the Year truly defines inspirational. His inspiration, his mother, had both of her legs amputated due to diabetes. Each summer, he returns home to St. Louis to work and support his family. Prior to the start of this school year, his mother's fight ended as she passed away at the age of 53. He uses that loss, and also the loss of his best friend, to fuel his motivation. He went on to lead the Chargers during the 2013-14 season in wins with a record of 25-13. He also returned to the national stage as a national qualifier and as the 12th-ranked heavyweight in the nation. This year's Most Inspirational Athlete award was given to junior wrestler Abram Reynolds.
The evening also involved 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.
