BLOOMINGTON, Ill. -- The inception of three new awards and the presentation of the annual Order of Titans awards to deserving senior student-athletes highlighted the inaugural "Victory With Honor Senior Banquet", held on campus on Monday, April 30.

Volleyball player Kyleigh Block (Deer Creek, Deer Creek-Mackinaw HS) was the winner of the first "Jason Jones True Titan Award", presented to the senior student-athlete who represents the highest character as a member of the Titan Athletic Community. The award is named for the former Titan basketball and baseball standout, a 1991 graduate, who perished in a plane crash in April 2015. Click here to read more about Jones.

Also beginning in 2018, two new awards have been founded to honor the top female and male Order of Titans honorees. Track and field athlete Amelia Glueck (Pekin, Tremont HS) won the initial "Barb Cothren Award", named in honor of longtime IWU coach and women's athletic administrator, while golfer Conner O'Neil (Green Bay, Wis., Notre Dame Academy) was the first recipient of the "Dennie Bridges Award", named for the longtime IWU coach and athletic director.

The "Order of Titans" honorary members at Illinois Wesleyan are chosen annually by members of the coaching and physical education staff and are selected on the basis of academic accomplishments, athletic contributions, and general citizenship. The awards were presented to male athletes only until 1975 and women have been included as honorees since 1976.
"Order of Titans" members receive lifetime passes to IWU home athletic events. Go here to see previous Order of Titans honorees.

The 2018 Order of Titans winners are:

WOMEN - Kyleigh Block, volleyball; Victoria Drake, cross country and track; Rebekah Ehresman, basketball; Amelia Glueck, track and field; Mackenzie Marquis, softball; Claire Quist, lacrosse; Mariah Smith, lacrosse; Tori Tiberi, swimming; Rachel Westerkamp, soccer; Shante Williams, track and field.

MEN - Morgan Bishop, swimming; Gino Cavalieri, baseball; Jordan Hassan, football; Jordan Krzeczkowski, football; Tanner Kuenneth, cross country and track; James Maibuecher, lacrosse; Connor Melvin, football; Nick Monferdini, football; Tom Nie, soccer; Conner O'Neil, golf; Nolan Tweedy, cross country and track; Nick Winter, lacrosse.

SENIOR CLASS STATISTICS
94 seniors
3.32 cumulative grade-point average – 22 student-athletes had a GPA of 3.75 or higher
23 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin championships (one more would be the most in a four-year history)
9 CCIW championships in 2015-16 (most in a one-year span)
9 Top-10 finishes and five banners hung in Shirk Center
$140,000 donated to local organizations as a result of volunteer charitable fundraising