The CCIW also announced on Tuesday the winners of the conference's Merle Chapman Leadership Award.

NAPERVILLE, Ill. – For the fifth consecutive year and sixth time since 2012, the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) hosted Special Olympics Illinois for a game of bocce during the CCIW SAAC’s spring workshop on Tuesday.
 
CCIW student-athletes and Special Olympics Illinois athletes gathered at North Central College for a friendly game of bocce, followed by a joint luncheon.
 
In 2012, Special Olympics Illinois and the CCIW SAAC participated in a bocce ball exercise during a two-day leadership workshop, eventually leading to the current five-year partnership that began in 2014.
 
Also on Tuesday, the CCIW recognized its Merle Chapman Leadership Award winners. The award, which began during the 2002-03 academic year, is named after the long time football coach/athletics director at Millikin University and the second commissioner of the CCIW. Chapman served in that capacity from 1997-2002.

This award identifies the student-athletes that best exemplify the traits that Chapman displayed and encouraged during his three-plus decades of service as teacher, coach and mentor to the athletes, coaches and administrators of the CCIW. Those traits are loyalty, enthusiasm, leadership, sportsmanship, and a commitment to academic, athletic and personal excellence.
 
The Merle Chapman Leadership Award winners were given certificates and recognized by the institutional SAAC advisors during Tuesday’s workshop and luncheon.
 
2017-18 Merle Chapman Award Winners

Carroll
Dana Voltolina (Volleyball)
Nick Popp (Men's Soccer)
 
Carthage
Max Mella (Women's Tennis)
Dan Cotton (Men's Cross Country/Track & Field)
 
Elmhurst
Sidney O'Keefe (Women's Soccer)
David Michaels (Football/Men's Track & Field)
 
Illinois Wesleyan
Kyleigh Block (Volleyball)
Jordan Hassan (Football)
 
Millikin
Emily Seegmiller (Volleyball)
Michael Charles II (Men's Basketball)
 
North Central
Michaela Reedy (Women's Basketball)
Ivan Bohorquez (Men's Soccer)
 
North Park
Brie Lippert (Women's Basketball/Track & Field)
Josh Smith (Baseball)
 
Wheaton
Jackie Boulris (Volleyball)
Tyrel Derrick (Men’s Basketball)
 
Note: Augustana did not select Merle Chapman recipients for 2017-18
 
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The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) was founded in 1946 and currently services nine member institutions including Augustana College (Rock Island, IL), Carroll University (Waukesha, WI), Carthage College (Kenosha, WI), Elmhurst College (Elmhurst, IL), Illinois Wesleyan University (Bloomington, IL), Millikin University (Decatur, IL), North Central College (Naperville, IL), North Park University (Chicago, IL) and Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL). During the 2016-17 academic year, the CCIW honored over 1,900 academic all-conference recipients, 10 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, 33 CoSIDA Academic All-District recipients, one CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year and over 100 all-Americans.