Men's Cross Country | 11/19/2024 12:00:00 PM
MIDDLETOWN, Ohio - The River States Conference is pleased to announce the 53 student athletes that were honored as their program's Champion of Character for the 2024 fall season.
Each team in each River States Conference sponsored sport is asked to nominate one athlete as their Champion of Character. These student-athletes best represent the NAIA’s Champions of Character program and its five core values of Respect, Responsibility, Integrity, Servant Leadership and Sportsmanship.
With each honoree is a description of their qualifications for Champions of Character consideration, as described by their coaches. All honorees will be considered for the end-of-year Champion of Character, which will then be forwarded for national consideration.
Men's Cross Country
Noah Harris, Alice Lloyd College
About Noah: "Noah brings integrity and respect when competing. He is always trying to do the right things, and he treats everyone with respect as how he would want to be treated."
Brody Kurz, Brescia University
About Brody: "Brody is a responsible, respectful young man who shows integrity in all he does."
Blake Nigg, Indiana University Columbus
About Blake: "Blake exemplifies all five of the core values but the one that stands out most to me is that of servant leadership. He joined the cross country team having never run before to help us fill our five man roster and has been an incredible addition to our small team. He has led by example and worked so diligently to become a true runner. He is a blessing to our group and he will be missed greatly next year!"
Cameron Nocton, Indiana University East
About Cameron: "Team Captain, Leads from the front, Excellent Student."
Bryce Stateler, Indiana University Kokomo
About Bryce: "Bryce was voted in by the team because of his leadership as a captain, leading by example, and inclusion for all teammates."
Steven Meyer, Midway University
About Steven: "Steven is always ready to assist someone in need if they need it. He embodies all five core values of the NAIA."
Ammon Morgan, Oakland City University
About Ammon: "Ammon is very coachable and has very strong integrity. He holds himself to a high standard."
Dylan Stillwell, Saint Mary of the Woods College
About Dylan: "Dylan has had numerous injuries throughout his career that has not allowed him to compete, but despite this he has maintained a positive attitude and helps his team in many other ways. He maintains the team social medial presence, helps time workouts/take splits at meets, online recruiting, and helps hold his teammates accountable."
Malachi Shugert, Shawnee State University
About Malachi: "Malachi has been battling an injury for almost a year that set him back. Even in the midst of this, he continued to show great leadership, showing up for his team and doing what needs to be done for them to succeed. Malachi shows great respect to the coaching staff and does what is asked of him."
Ashton Beverly, University of Rio Grande
About Ashton: "Ashton excels in character and servant leadership. He is always trustworthy and responsible in every aspect of his life on and off the course. He will help anyone with anything at any time."
Adam Bennett, West Virginia University Institute of Technology
About Adam: "He represents the core values by showing up everyday and always giving his best effort at practice. He has improved immensely since the beginning of the season. He comes to practice with a great attitude and never complains during it."
Women's Cross Country
Kaitlynn Ratliff, Alice Lloyd College
About Kaitlynn: "Kaitlynn's integrity, respect, and sportsmanship are the definition of each in regards to the competition and being an example of the 5 core values of the NAIA."
Mallory Wilson, Brescia University
About Mallory: "Mallory has shown herself to have a strong understanding of responsibility and respect. Her integrity is strong as well."
Abby Voss, Indiana University Columbus
About Abby: "Abby is a shining example of character for her competitors, her teammates, and for me! She has worked so hard and has shown grit, determination, and drive along with utmost integrity, sacrificial leadership, and love for everyone around her. She is graduating this year and she will be sorely missed by our team."
Samantha Fowler, Indiana University East
About Samantha: "Excellent Student, Hardworking, Consistent."
Leslie Sprankles, Indiana University Kokomo
About Leslie: "Leslie was voted in by the team because of her leadership as a captain, leading by example, and inclusion for all teammates."
Lydia Workman, Midway University
About Lydia: "Lydia has been a tremendous help and asset to the team this year. She embodies all five core values of the NAIA."
Jolea Kennedy, Oakland City University
About Jolea: "Jolea displays strong servant leadership. She cares about others on the team and is always encouraging them to be their best."
Deborah Murphy, Saint Mary of the Woods College
About Deborah: "Deborah rejoined the team her Senior year to help strengthen our program. She is very responsible, shows great sportsmanship, and self sacrifice. She has also demonstrated servant leadership through fundraising and organizing a community event."
Natalie Brammer, Shawnee State University
About Natalie: "Natalie Brammer is loved by all of her teammates for the teammate and person that she is. Natalie treats everybody with respect, shows up every day and puts her all into her running while encouraging and supporting her teammates. Natalie has a great sense of Sportsmanship and is a positive presence within the team."
Amarissa Kerns, University of Rio Grande
About Amarissa: "Amarissa is always a positive influence on everyone around her. Her sportsmanship is displayed at every meet and every day. Her responsibility for her teammates goes above and beyond what is expected in all situations and in all aspects of her team life as well as her other 22 hours a day."
Jessica York, West Virginia University Institute of Technology
About Jessica: "She is one of if not the hardest worker on team. Everything that she has achieved in college has been from dedication and hard work in practice, nothing has been given to her without her putting in her maximum effort to achieve it. She follows instructions for training, workouts, never talks back or questions the coaches. She has achieved so much in the sport of running while working part time jobs off campus, commuting to school and running the highest mileage weeks of her life at the same time."
Men's Soccer
Max Endres, Brescia University
About Max: "Max is a student athlete with a lot of Integrity. He has displayed over the past four years on and off the field. Max has been a captain the past two seasons because of the high value he places on good sportsmanship toward his teammates, opponents, officials and coaches. Max is also an excellent student that chose to provide free tutoring services to other students that needed help in various subjects. To me, Max is exactly what the Champions of Character is all about."
Christian Cardoso, Indiana University Columbus
About Christian: "Christian represents himself, his community and his campus to the highest standards. He's always willing to help when needed and is well respected by his peers."
Brody McKinney, Indiana University East
About Brody: "As an incoming freshman, Brody represented our program extremely well. Respectful to teammates and opponents, competitive but within reason, I think he is a fantastic choice for Champions of Character."
Bryson Lynch, Midway University
About Bryson: "Bryson serves in the leadership program at Midway University as a student and peer mentor assisting new students with adjusting to campus life. He also participates in Midway's sports information and game day operations work study program."
Matias Salfate, Oakland City University
About Matias: "Excels in classroom, works hard every day on the field and is consistently doing additional work in the community off campus."
Harry Jackson, Saint Mary of the Woods College
About Harry: "Harry is an outstanding young man, a Captain, and he truly represents the integrity our team is trying to achieve."
Trevor Aveiro Masanjala, Shawnee State University
About Trevor: "This student athlete truly is an example of Respect, integrity, sportsmanship and servant leadership. He has been a true caretaker of this entire team all season by making sure he helps his peers by answering questions whether about Shawnee or a simple direction. He checks in on their mental health and he even checks on me the new coach which in my 20 plus years of coaching I have never had a player ask how was I doing. He shows respect to the opponents and the referees. He has also taken the lead to become an on campus RA to help the freshman and all students move from their dorms when flooding hit the campus he was out trying to help in anyway he could to calm the masses. He is a hard working selfless individual that has very good leadership qualities that also shows his strong emotional intelligence far beyond his age. I am proud of this student athlete and I am truly the lucky one that gets to coach him."
Marti Puigsegur Calvo, University of Rio Grande
About Marti: "Marti is an outstanding teammate who goes out of his way to help others no matter what the circumstances."
Ramon Ferrari Simonassi, West Virginia University Institute of Technology
About Ramon: "Ramon exemplifies five core values or Respect, Responsibility, Integrity, Sportsmanship or Servant Leadership daily. Every single day Ramon works hard, has a great attitude, supports his teammates, and goes above and beyond to help the program in any way that he can."
Women's Soccer
Duda Feres, Brescia University
About Duda: "Duda goes all out for the team and the University. She is involved in multiple organizations throughout the school. She also works for admissions office and gives tours. She is a tutor for the school and a RA. She represents the NAIA in all aspects of our core values."
Rachel Lamping, Indiana University Columbus
About Rachel: "Rachel has embodied all of the core values throughout the season. She shows great responsibility as a freshmen and integrity and respect on and off the field."
Vanessa Temple, Indiana University East
About Vanessa: "Tremendous competitor who competes hard but maturely - a real sportswoman! Also serves on IUE's SAAC and SGA along with being captain of the Track team."
Kailee Moore, Indiana University Kokomo
About Kailee: "She is our team captain, she has proved herself in the classroom and has held herself and her team to a higher standard of character."
Anna Kessinger, Midway University
About Anna: "Always willing to help another teammate and always participates in community service or activities on campus with our phone-a-thon etc."
Elsa Vega Hevia, Oakland City University
About Elsa: "Elsa is an example of showing respect and having integrity at all times. She is a credit to our program and the university."
Chloe Field, Saint Mary of the Woods College
About Chloe: "Chloe is always positive, she handles adversity straight away, she leads by example, and is always supporting her teammates."
Madison Culp, Shawnee State University
About Madison: "Madison always treats everyone she meets with dignity and respect. She is very inclusive and always does her best on and off the field."
Abigail Seals, University of Rio Grande
About Abigail: "Abi has been a crucial component to our team both on and off the field. Abi has served as a captain the past two years. As a Nursing major, Abi is one of our most responsible players. With her course load and clinical rotation during season, her level of maturity and responsibility has allowed her to be successful. Abi is also one of our most respectful and respected players. As a captain, Abi is typically the first to arrive and the last to leave practice. She is the definition of a servant leader, always asking what she can do to serve the coaching staff and her teammates."
Angelica Taylor, West Virginia University Institute of Technology
About Angelica: "Angel has been a co-captain for us during the last two seasons and has grown into a great representation of our program and the core values of a Champion of Character. She has shown integrity, responsibility, respect, sportsmanship, and servant leaderships as a leader by placing the needs of the team before her own and been the greatest support system for her teammates from the field and bench as needed. She constantly strives to better herself in every aspect so that she can be an even greater asset to our team's success."
Women's Volleyball
Kyleah Ward, Alice Lloyd College
About Kyleah: "Kyleah's servant leadership is one of her greatest values. She puts everyone else ahead of her when coming to competing at the highest level of competition."
Sydney Stevens, Brescia University
About Sydney: "Sydney is a great team leader and has a lot of team spirit. She is also very involved on campus with many activities and clubs."
Cora Baker, Indiana University Columbus
About Cora: "Cora is not only the team Captain, she is our best player, inside and outside of the court. Cora is a hard worker and a great teammate. Always offering help to support not only our VB program but other sports. We can’t think anyone else better than Cora for this award."
Emily Baker, Indiana University East
About Emily: "Emily is the first one to volunteer for activities. She is a servant for her program and family. Baker is a wonderful communicator and is a mature and organized young woman."
Julia Sanders, Indiana University Kokomo
About Julia: "We selected this individual for the Champions of Character award due to their outstanding servant leadership and integrity. They consistently demonstrate respect for teammates and opponents alike, uphold responsibility in every situation, and exemplify sportsmanship, inspiring our team to strive for excellence both on and off the court."
Jessi Kramer, Indiana University Southeast
About Jessi: "Jessi is an exemplary person and teammate. An excellent student and a caring teammate who will go on to serve her community as a nurse."
Marinna Liedle, Midway University
About Marinna: "Marinna holds herself to a high standard of sportsmanship and servant leadership. Looking to help in anyways she can on and off the court. Marinna is kind and composed and leads by example of what sportsmanship should look like."
Abigail Vaughn, Oakland City University
About Abigail: "Abigail is every coaches dream player. She has nothing but respect for all her teammates, coaches, and the game of volleyball. Even when she makes a mistake, she always has a smile on her face. Abigail is a 4.0 student majoring in Easly Childhood Education. I am so thankful I get to coach her."
Evelyn Morales, Saint Mary of the Woods College
About Evelyn: "Evelyn brings so much encouragement and positivity to every practice and match. She’s someone that her teammates look to for guidance. She always checks on how everyone is doing. She comes to practice, works hard no matter the outcome and challenges her teammates to do the same. She’s a team player and loves being a part of one no matter what her role is."
Kylee Gifford, Shawnee State University
About Kylee: "Kylee demonstrates all five core values. She treats others the way she wants to be treated and is always willing to go the extra mile for her teammates. Although she is reserved, she doesn't hesitate to face new challenges head-on. Kylee is an outstanding representative of Shawnee State Volleyball."
Avery Huntzinger, University of Rio Grande
About Avery: "Avery has displayed all 5 values that this Champions of Character award stands for. She lost her starting position as setter (3 years) and has not missed a beat in showing her leadership to the team. She is always helping and cheering. She is our team captain and the girl everyone needs when they have to talk through something. Avery is the most selfless player I have ever coached. She has never once, in 4 years disrespected anyone. She has taken the responsibility of delegating jobs for the team for the last two years and can be trusted by both her teammates and her coaches. I can't think of a more deserving recipient."
Brooke Presley, West Virginia University Institute of Technology
About Brooke: "I chose Brooke because she exemplifies the qualities of a true Champion of Character. In 4 years at Tech, I have never had an issue concerning her. She is our team captain, and carries a huge academic and athletic load as a nursing student and team Libero."