NAPERVILLE -- The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) announced the 2023-24 Merle Chapman Leadership Award recipients on Monday.

This award is named after the former Millikin Athletics Director and the CCIW's second commissioner, who served in that capacity from 1997-2002.

The 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.
 
Each CCIW institution selects one men's and one women's student-athlete from their Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) who participates in a CCIW-sponsored sport.
 
2023-24 CCIW Merle Chapman Award Recipients
Augustana
Fernando Munguia, Men's Swimming & Diving
Keira Nelson, Women's Volleyball
 
Carroll
Parker Raddatz, Football
Anina Lee, Women's Swimming & Diving
 
Carthage
Keegan Brumitt, Men's Volleyball
Kate Sumner, Women's Soccer
 
Elmhurst
Edmund Conroy, Men's Soccer
Payton Schmidt, Women's Basketball
 
Illinois Wesleyan
Joshua Klein, Football, Men's Track & Field
Nora Robinson, Women's Cross Country/Track & Field
 
Millikin
Grant Neuhaus, Baseball
Bella Dudley, Women's Basketball
 
North Central
Tom Eberhardt, Men’s Lacrosse
Sade Hill, Women's Wrestling
 
North Park
Jereme Ombogo, Men's Track & Field
Victoria Perry, Women's Basketball
 
Wheaton
Dolan Bair, Men's Track & Field
Paige Andrews, Softball