NAPERVILLE, Ill. – The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) announced the winners of the Merle Chapman Leadership Award Wednesday.

The award, which began during the 2002-03 academic year, is named after the longtime football coach/athletics director at Millikin University and the second commissioner of the CCIW. Chapman served in that capacity from 1997-2002. The award identifies the student-athletes from the eight member institutions 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, and commitment to academic, athletic and personal excellence, leadership and sportsmanship.

Each school is allowed to name one male and one female student-athlete from its Student-Athlete Advisory Council. The winners were honored on Monday, April 16 at the CCIW’s year-end SAAC luncheon.

2006-07 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Merle Chapman Award Winners

Augustana
Erin Blecha - Track & Field
Joe Youngbauer - Football

Carthage
Lauren Johnston - Cross Country
Tanner Folk - Track & Field

Elmhurst
Marisa Mele - Cross Country
Brian Slackert - Football

Illinois Wesleyan
Molly Coers - Softball
Mike Nicoletti - Track & Field

Millikin
Lindsay Ippel - Women’s Basketball
George Fear - Baseball

North Central
Megan Rossi - Track & Field
Adam Pennington - Track & Field

North Park
Dana Wilson - Volleyball
Matt Cappetta - Track & Field

Wheaton
Lauren Hein - Softball
Johnnie Standard - Basketball