Aug. 8, 2008
NORMAL, Ill. -
The 2007-08 year was full of numerous accomplishments and honors for the Illinois State Athletics Department. At the Walk of Champions on Sunday, August 17, two student-athletes, one male and one female, will be recognized for their achievements during the past year. At the annual event that welcomes in Redbird freshmen and officially begins the new athletic year, the Jill Hutchison Female Athlete of the Year and Milt Weisbecker Male Athlete of the Year awards will be presented.
Ten student-athletes have been nominated for these awards, which are perhaps the most-prestigious bestowed upon Redbird student-athletes. The six female student-athletes are Kristi Cirone (basketball), Tracy Deyell (swimming and diving), Meaghan Koshman (gymnastics), Erin Lindsey (volleyball), Yvonne Northover (soccer) and Devon Williams (track and field). The four male nominees are Luke Drone (football), Kevin Dubler (baseball), Osiris Eldridge (basketball) and Alex Straughn (track and field).
The female athlete of the year award is named in honor of Hutchison, who retired from coaching women's basketball in 1999 after racking up 461 wins in 28 seasons at Illinois State. Now a radio and television analyst for Redbird and Missouri Valley Conference broadcasts, Hutchison was a pioneer and advocate for women in athletics throughout her coaching career. This summer, she was selected for induction into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.
Cirone had the best season of her illustrious career as a junior. She was named the Jackie Stiles MVC Player of the year for the second-consecutive season, becoming just the fourth player in the history of the conference to achieve that feat, and was named first-team All-Valley, All-Valley Defensive Team and a first-team MVC Scholar-Athlete for the second-straight year. She also became the third player in school history to be named an all-American with honorable mention nods from the Associated Press and Women's Basketball Coaches Association. A three-time MVC Player of the Week, Cirone was named the State Farm MVC Tournament MVP while guiding the Redbirds to the title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. She led the conference in assists and ranked second in scoring and steals. Cirone scored her 1,000th point during the season, moved into the top-10 in career scoring at ISU and became the program's all-time leader in free throws.
Deyell had a record-setting senior season in the pool for ISU. She was a first-team All-Valley and MVC Scholar-Athlete selection as well as being named the team's MVP. She excelled at the State Farm MVC Championship, breaking three records during the three days of competition. She placed first and set a Valley record in the 400-IM and recorded second-place finishes with school-record times in the 200-yard breaststroke and the 200-yard IM (2:05.57). She was also a part of two top-five relay teams at the championship meet.
Koshman was the best all-around performer for the Redbirds in her junior season. A first-team All-Midwest Independent Conference selection, Koshman set career-high marks in all five categories throughout the year. She posted career-high scores in the vault (9.900), uneven bars (9.825) and the all-around (39.100) in a Redbird win over Rhode Island. A two-time MIC Gymnast of the Week, she finished second in the uneven bars, 10th in the floor routine and seventh in the all-around at the conference meet. Koshman was selected to participate in the NCAA South Central Regional in Norman, Okla., where she placed 17th in the all-round.
Lindsey's play in 2007 guided ISU to the finals of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. She was a second-team All-Valley selection, a first-team All-Valley Scholar-Athlete honoree and was named to the State Farm MVC All-Tournament team. Lindsey led the Redbirds with 1,453 set-assists on the year and became just the fourth player in school history to amass more than 4,000 set-assists in her career. She had five matches with more than 60 set-assists, including a career-high 71 against Northern Iowa.
Northover led the Redbirds to the 2007 MVC regular-season championship with a stellar senior season. She was named the MVC Player of the Year and first-team All-Valley after leading the Redbirds with seven assists, which tied the school single-season record, and 23 points on the season. A two-time Brine MVC Offensive Player of the Week, Northover was second on the team with eight goals and recorded a point in every ISU win, including five game-winning goals. She was named to the Soccer Buzz and National Soccer Coaches Association (NSCAA) All-Great Lakes Region Third Team.
Williams capped her illustrious career with three more titles at the 2008 State Farm MVC Outdoor Track and Field Championships. She won individual titles in the 100- and 200-meter dash events, giving her eight individual conference titles in her career (five outdoor, three indoor) and anchored the 4x100-meter relay team. Williams qualified for the NCAA Mideast Region Track and Field Championships, placing fourth in her heat and 17th overall. She was also a part of the 4x100 relay team that placed 15th at the regional. For the second-consecutive season, Williams was named Most Outstanding Female Track Athlete at the State Farm MVC Indoor Championships with a pair of record-setting performances. She broke her own school and Valley record time in the 60-meter dash (7.41) and set a career-best in the 200-meter dash (24.31).
The male athlete of the year award is named for Weisbecker, the former athletics director who led Illinois State through times of change from 1966 to 1974. As athletics director, he successfully led the university's athletic program from the NCAA College Division into Division I status. Additionally, Weisbecker had an outstanding record in seven seasons as the Redbird's head golf coach, including a fourth-place NCAA College Division Finish in 1969.
Drone was an honorable mention All-Gateway Conference selection after starting all 11 games for the Redbirds in 2007. He threw for 2,222 yards, his third-consecutive season with more than 2,000 yards in the air, and 18 touchdowns. He averaged 196.7 passing yards per game in league contests, the second-highest mark in the conference, and 200.7 yards of total offense per league game, which ranked third. He finished his career ranked in the top-three in nine different passing categories, including four as the all-time leader. He was a first-team All-Gateway Academic team selection and received the Valley Good Neighbor Award. Drone was also a semifinalist for the NCAA Wooden Cup, which is presented annually to one college and one professional athlete who best displays character, teamwork and citizenship.
Dubler enjoyed his best season in a Redbird uniform, leading the team in every offensive category. He batted .358 with a school record 23 doubles, three triples, nine home runs, 56 RBI and 44 walks on the season. Dubler was a second-team All-Valley and American Baseball Coaches Association Midwest All-Region selection. A semifinalist for the Johnny Bench Award, he also led the team with 20 multiple-hit games and 16 multiple-RBI games, and was 15-for-18 in stolen bases. He had a .994 fielding percentage, committing just two errors behind the plate all season. In June, Dubler was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the eighth round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft and is currently playing with the Bristol Sox in the Appalachian League.
Eldridge guided the Redbirds to a 20-win season and a berth in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT). He followed up his MVC Freshman of the Year award by finishing second in the Larry Bird MVC Player of the Year voting as a sophomore. A first-team All-Valley selection, Eldridge led the Redbirds and ranked second in the Valley in scoring. His 17.1 points per game average in Valley play was the best in the conference. A two-time MVC Player of the Week, Eldridge had 28 double-digit scoring efforts in the final 31 games of the season, including a career-high 34 points against Indiana State.
Straughn was successful in both the indoor and outdoor seasons for the Redbirds as a senior. At the State Farm MVC Indoor Championships, Straughn won the triple jump and placed third in the high jump. He won every triple jump event he competed in during the indoor season, clearing a personal-best indoor height of 49 feet, 11.25 inches at the Eastern Illinois Friday Night Special. During the outdoor season, Straughn posted regional-qualifying heights in the triple jump three times. At the State Farm MVC Outdoor Championships, he placed third in the triple jump and fifth in the high jump. He placed 28th at the NCAA Mideast Regional in the triple jump to end the season.
