NORMAL, Ill. - The 11 nominees for the annual Jill Hutchison Female Athlete of the Year and the Milt Weisbecker Male Athlete of the Year awards have been announced. Five male and six female student-athletes are in the running for the awards that honor the best athletic performances of the 2010-11 academic year and will be presented at the annual Walk of Champions Sunday, Aug. 21.
The six female nominees are Emily Hanley (women's basketball), Brianna Cooper (women's golf), Hannah Deutsch (gymnastics), Jessica Carlson (soccer), Kara Nelson (softball) and Brittany Smith (track and field). The five male nominees are Ryan Court (baseball), Eric Brunner (football), Jeff Kellen (men's golf), Alexander Pelaez (men's tennis) and Tim Glover (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 analyst for Redbird broadcasts, Hutchison was a pioneer and advocate for women in athletics throughout her coaching career. A banner in her honor hangs from the Redbird Arena rafters and she was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.
Hanley ended her Redbird career as an All-MVC First-Team selection, a MVC Scholar-Athlete Second-Team selection and a CoSIDA/ Capital One Academic All-District V First-Team selection. Hanley led the Redbirds in scoring (14.1 ppg) and field goal percentage (52.5) and ranked second in rebounding (6.9 rpg) and recorded a team-high five double-doubles. The Bloomington, Ill., native led the Valley in field goal percentage and ranked fifth in scoring and eighth in rebounding during the 2010-11 season.
As a freshman, Cooper made a big impact on the women's golf team, as she won the individual title at the 2011 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Championship, after firing a two-round 144 (74-70). With the win, she was also named to the All-Valley Team and named the 2011 MVC Newcomer of the Year. Cooper competed in 26 rounds at 10 events during the 2010-11 season, holding a scoring average of 77.4. Aside from her lowest single-round score of two-under-par 70 at the MVC Championships, she had a low score of one-under-par 71 during the second round of the Redbird Invitational.
Deutsch competed on the balance beam and floor exercise in every meet during the 2011 season. She had a personal-best balance beam performance of 9.925 (Feb. 18) and posted a season-high 9.825 on the floor exercise three times throughout the season (Jan. 15, Feb. 11 and Feb. 18). Deutsch scored a season-high 9.750 on the vault (Feb. 26). The all-arounder made her second appearance at the NCAA Regionals on the balance beam and placed 15th with a score of 9.775 (Apr. 2).
Carlson became the first Illinois State soccer player in program history to earn NSCAA First-Team All-Great Lakes Region honors in 2010. She was also named a First-Team All-MVC selection, CoSIDA/ Capital One Academic All-District V selection, All-MVC Scholar-Athlete Team and two-time MVC Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 7, Oct. 4) during the 2010 season. She led the Valley in shots per game (3.39) and led the Redbirds in all offensive categories by scoring 19 points on seven goals and five assists and scored three game-winners. The Darien, Ill., native ranks second in the Illinois State record books for career points (56), career goals (22) and career assists (12).
Nelson was named to the Easton All-American Second-Team, earned Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Mideast Region Second-Team honors and was selected as the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year and named to the All-MVC First-Team. She was named one of 30 finalists for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. Nelson led the conference in batting average (.417), hits (80) and total bases (112), scored a team high 41 runs and led the Redbirds with a .462 on-base percentage. The Moline, Ill., recorded her 300th-career hit in the final game of her career in the NCAA Tournament at Missouri (May 21). Nelson holds ISU career records for hits (301), doubles (49), runs scored (189), games started (223), total bases (435), at bats (750) and batting average (.401).
During the indoor season, Smith set a career-mark of 56-04.75 in the shot put for a third-place finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships, earning All-American honors. In the outdoor season, Smith earned All-Valley honors, placing second at the MVC Outdoor Championships in the discus with a career-mark of 172-0. The Oak Park, Ill., native set a career-best mark and school record at the MVC Outdoor Championships in the hammer throw with a mark of 206-03 to finish third and earn All-Valley honors. Smith earned second-team All-America honors in the hammer throw at the 2011 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a mark of 205-09 for ninth place.
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.
Court never missed a start during his final three seasons at Illinois State, starting 159-consecutive games. During his senior season, he hit .323 with a team-best 15 doubles and four triples, to go along with six home runs. The Sleepy Hollow, Ill., native was also 7-for-7 in stolen bases during the 2011 season. Court had an 11-game hitting streak and amassed 16 multiple-hit and 11 multiple-RBI games. He was named to the Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete First Team for the third time in his career and for the second time in his career, named to the CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-District V First Team.
Brunner was named an All-Missouri Valley Football Conference First-Team selection, a MVFC All-Academic First Team honoree, a CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-District V Team selection and a Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association (FCS ADA) Academic All-Star Team member. He ranked fifth on the team with a career-high 53 tackles, including 23 solo stops, and led the team with four sacks and 9.5 tackles-for-loss, both career-highs. Brunner was also credited with two quarterback hurries, a fumble recovery and posted seven tackles in five different games.
Kellen competed in 31 rounds during the season, tying a team high and held a season stroke average of 74.0, which was a team best. Kellen was a two-time MVC Golfer of the Week (Oct. 13, 2010 & April 18, 2011). He was also named an MVC First Team Scholar-Athlete and Division I Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-American Scholar by the Golf Coaches Association of America. Kellen recorded four top-10 finishes during the season, including a top-three finish with a score of 221 (77-74-70) at the 2011 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Men's Golf Championships.
Pelaez posted overall records of 31-9 in singles and 30-7 in doubles during the 2010-11 season. He finished first at the No. 2 singles position at the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Individual Championships. Pelaez received a national-ranking of 42 in doubles with teammate Timon Reichelt (Mar. 2). The duo teamed up again and finished first in Flight A doubles at the Louisville Fall Invitational. Pelaez advanced to the doubles semifinals of the ITA Midwest Regional Championships also with Reichelt. Pelaez was named to the Valley Scholar-Athlete First Team.
Glover won the 2011 NCAA National Championship in the javelin with a personal-best toss of 263-06, earning him All-America honors. Glover is one of only three ISU track and field student-athletes to win a NCAA national championship. He finished first in four meets, including the MVC Outdoor Championships for All-Valley honors and was named the Most Outstanding Field Athlete at the conference championships. The Normal, Ill., native broke his career-best mark three times throughout the season and holds the top collegiate throw in the nation this year. Glover ended his historic sophomore season by qualifying for the 2011 USA National Outdoor Championships, where he finished as the top collegiate athlete and sixth overall.
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