Award nominees announced; winners to be named at Academic Excellence Banquet         

[OCT. 19, 2006]  NORMAL -- The seventh annual State Farm Academic Excellence Banquet, one of the most anticipated events of the year, will be hosted by the Illinois State athletics department on Nov. 5 at 6 p.m. at Redbird Arena. The night will be full of awards and recognition, and in addition to the announcement of the Doug Collins Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Linda Herman Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors, three special awards will also be distributed.

Though Collins will not be present at the banquet because of prior commitments, the men's basketball great will be represented at the event by Jack North, an executive from State Farm Insurance Companies. Collins' name will nonetheless be tied to the highest academic distinction distributed to a male Redbird student-athlete.

The nominees for this year's Doug Collins Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year award are current Redbird men's golfer Ryan Brown, baseball outfielder Matt Bolt, ISU long snapper Jake Weber, and former Redbird track and cross country standout Dan Tripp.

Herman will present the award named in her honor. Candidates for the accolade are former women's soccer player and two-time Valley MVP Heather Forsyth, current Redbird volleyball player Jessie Janik, former women's golf star Samantha Richdale, former gymnast Amy Biedenharn, Redbird softball pitcher Shannon Nicholson, women's track and field sprinter Devon Williams, and former ISU swimmer Katie Finan.

Three additional awards that were started in 2004 will also be presented at the State Farm Academic Excellence Banquet: the Impact, Good Neighbor and Phoenix awards.

The recipient of the Impact Award embodies the commitment to excellence. This individual desires to make an impact on the lives of others by outstanding leadership skills, commitment to academics and service to the community. Nominees for the Impact Award are Redbird quarterback Luke Drone, former baseball player Chris Frank, current volleyball standout Kari Staehlin, softball outfielder and SAAC president Jackie Williams, and former women's track and fielder Andrea Mosher.

The Phoenix Award is given to an individual who has overcome academic challenges and has made consistent academic progress throughout his or her career. Illinois State student-athletes who were nominated for the Phoenix Award are former men's golfer Matt Maskel, men's tennis player Johann Nograbat, softball standout Randi Patton, Redbird swimmer Lisa Hanrahan and ISU wide receiver Laurent Robinson.

The Good Neighbor Award is given to a student-athlete who has demonstrated extraordinary commitment to excellence in academics, service to others and personal conduct. The recipient volunteers time to assist fellow student-athletes in their endeavors to achieve their academic goals. Nominees for this year's Good Neighbor Award are women's golfer Olivia Campos, softball's Christy Colgan, baseball catcher Kevin Dubler, football offensive lineman Isaiah Wiggins, men's golfer Wes Zartman and volleyball's Jessie Janik.

[Illinois State University news release provided by Kristen E. Greenstreet, media relations graduate assistant]

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