NAPERVILLE — Illinois Wesleyan multi-sport student-athlete Lauren Huber has been selected 2024-25 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Women’s Student-Athlete of the Year, the league office announced Monday morning. Huber, who graduated from IWU with a degree in biology, is the second consecutive CCIW Women’s Student-Athlete of the Year from IWU and the Titans’ 14th winner of the award since 2005-06.
 
The selection process for the CCIW Women’s Student-Athlete of the Year began with nominations in April and May, culminating with voting from the league’s Senior Woman Administrators and Faculty Athletics Representatives in June.
 
Huber also becomes the third women’s basketball recipient in league history and joins North Park’s Esther Miller (2022-23) as the only recipients of the women’s award to participate in both basketball and track & field.
 
The Lombard, Ill. native concluded her decorated hoops career in March as the Titans’ all-time leading scorer with 1,700 points, breaking an IWU record that stood for nearly three decades. She was honored as an All-American by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (First Team) and D3hoops.com (Third Team) in 2025 and was a two-time finalist (2024-25) for the Jostens Trophy. In all, she was a two-time All-American, a participant in the 2025 WBCA All-Star Game, a four-time All-Region selection from D3hoops.com and a four-time All-CCIW pick.
 
After the conclusion of her basketball career, Huber joined the IWU track & field team and collected another All-America honor, this time after a fourth-place showing in the heptathlon at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Geneva, Ohio. She also was an All-CCIW performer in the 800 meters, javelin, 4x400 meter relay and high jump last May and was the CCIW champion in the heptathlon as a freshman in 2022.
 
In the classroom, Huber claimed Academic All-America® honors from College Sports Communicators (CSC) in both 2024 and 2025. She has also collected three CSC Academic All-District® selections, as well as landing on the CCIW’s Dave Wrath Academic All-Conference list three times. In 2025, Huber was an Allstate NACDA Good Works Team Nominee for exceptional achievement in community service, athletics and academics.

During her time in Bloomington, Huber was deeply involved in community, campus and leadership roles. She served as Vice President of IWU’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee from 2022–2025, advocating for student-athlete interests and leading fundraising efforts. She was also a Titan Ambassador, representing the university to alumni and prospective students. Her outreach extended to volunteer work with organizations such as US Hunger, Feed My Starving Children, SOAR Special Needs. She also participated in the UKANDU Chicago Mission Trip while actively engaging with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

In the healthcare field, Huber gained hands-on experience as an EMT, a student worker in athletic training, and through volunteer roles in emergency rooms, hospice care, and Almost Home Kids – a specialty pediatric care facility that offers a bridge between hospital and home for children with complex medical needs.

“My experiences as an EMT, researcher, teammate, and mentor have shaped who I am and my vision for what is next,” Huber said. “I am driven to challenge the status quo, advocate for equity in healthcare, sports, and education, and mentor those coming behind me. I am proud not just of what I have done, but of who I have become, and I know I am just getting started.”
 
Huber will now be the CCIW’s nomination for the NCAA Woman of the Year award and advances to the NCAA Woman of the Year selection committee, which is made up of representatives from the NCAA membership. Later this fall, the committee chooses the top 30 honorees including 10 from each division. From the top 30, the committee determines the top three honorees from each division and announces the nine finalists. The NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics then chooses from among those nine to determine the 2025 NCAA Woman of the Year, which will be announced at the 2026 NCAA Convention in January.
 
CCIW Women's Student-Athletes of the Year Winners
2024-25 – Lauren Huber – Illinois Wesleyan (Women’s Basketball, Women’s Track & Field)
2023-24 – Lexi Onsrud – Illinois Wesleyan (Women's Golf)
2022-23 – Esther Miller – North Park (Women’s Basketball, Women’s Track & Field, Women’s Golf)
2021-22 – Ellen Gilbert – Illinois Wesleyan (Women's Swimming & Diving)
2020-21 – Favor Ezewuzie – Wheaton (Women's Track & Field) 
2019-20 – Megan Behrendt – Carthage (Women's Volleyball)
2018-19 – Tyler Brown – Illinois Wesleyan (Women's Volleyball)
2017-18 – Amelia Glueck – Illinois Wesleyan (Women's Track & Field)
2016-17 – Meg Stanley – Illinois Wesleyan (Women's Swimming)
2015-16 – Jill Harmon – Illinois Wesleyan (Women's Track & Field)
2014-15 – Kelsey Graham – Wheaton (Women's Soccer)
2013-14 – Lexi Baltes – Illinois Wesleyan (Women's Basketball)
2012-13 – Elise Anderson – Illinois Wesleyan (Women's Cross Country/Track & Field)
2011-12 – Lauren Knaack – Illinois Wesleyan (Women's Soccer)
2010-11 – Elizabeth Ave Maria – Illinois Wesleyan (Women's Cross Country/Track & Field)
2009-10 – Lindsey Haines – Illinois Wesleyan (Women's Golf)
2008-09 – Nicole Spear – Illinois Wesleyan (Women's Golf)
2007-08 – Sarah Richardson – Wheaton (Women's Soccer)
2006-07 – Meghan Voiland – Augustana (Women's Track & Field)
2005-06 – Melinda Sprague – Illinois Wesleyan (Women's Cross Country/Track & Field)