The third annual Track & Field Alumni/Awards Banquet last Saturday night drew it's largest crowd yet and provided an opportunity to celebrate not only the successes of the 2005 squad, but to remember the standout squads of the early 1970's and their coaches Ed Winrow and Terry Shy -- including Coach Shy's 1975 Indiana Collegiate Conference Championship team.

Both Winrow and Shy were in attendance at the event.

A total of 65 men and women were recognized for earning varsity letters along with our 36 Academic All-Conference Student-Athletes.

The Most Valuable Athlete awards, based upon scoring at the Conference Championships, went to Joshua Lee (Yellow Jacket, Colo.), Holly Hagen (Hobart, Ind.), and Melanie Wilson (St. Louis, Mo.). Adam Piaskowy (Crete, Ill.) and Jobeth Schmiesing (North Mankato, Minn.) were named the team's Most Improved in 2005.

The team elected the Most Inspirational award winners. Maggie Zellner (Downers Grove, Ill.) was selected for the second year in a row and Jeff Moscinski (Rockford, Ill.) was such a good choice that the coaching staff also selected him for the Coaches' Leadership Award. The Leadership Award goes to the student-athletes who best exemplify the ideals of the program and aid in its growth. The co-winners from the women's squad were Mary Frisch (Chesterton, Ind.) and Rachel Nelson (Greenwood, Mo.).

The 2005 Scholar Athletes stood out from a very accomplished group. For the men, Jeremy Paul (Lodi, Ohio) earned the honor while for the women Amanda Meyer (Somerset, Wis.) and Rachel Liptak (Temecula, Calif.) earned the accolades.