NAPERVILLE, Ill. – The College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin announced the annual Merle Chapman Leadership award recipients Monday, May 20 as Illinois Wesleyan University seniors Joshua Klein (Glen Carbon, Ill.-Edwardsville) and Nora Robinson (Eureka, Ill.-Eureka) were named honorees. 

The award was first introduced in the 2002-03 academic year and is named after the longtime football coach and athletics director at Millikin University and the second commissioner of the CCIW. Chapman served in that capacity from 1997-2002.

This award identifies the student-athletes that best exemplify the traits that Chapman displayed and encouraged during his three-plus decades of service as a teacher, coach, and mentor to the athletes, coaches, and administrators of the CCIW. Those traits are loyalty, enthusiasm, leadership, sportsmanship, and a commitment to academic, athletic, and personal excellence.

Klein, a two-sport student-athlete, served as a captain for both the football and men's track and field teams in addition to being co-president of IWU's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Klein is a four-time track and field All-CCIW honoree in the heptathlon and decathlon and ranks eighth in school history in the heptathlon. In his senior season on the football field, Klein played in all 10 games raking in the third-most tackles for the Titans with 56.0 and had the fourth-most sacks (3.5). 

Robinson is a two-sport athlete in women's cross country and track and field. The senior served as captain of the cross country team and is co-president of SAAC with Klein. Robinson is a three-year Academic All-CCIW honoree and a CCIW RESPECT Award recipient. She raced in three cross country races this year, including the CCIW Championships. On the track, Robinson has raced in seven meets and set a new personal-best in her senior campaign, in the 5000-meter run at the Meet of Champions, April 19, of 21:16.24.

2023-24 CCIW Merle Chapman Award Recipients
Augustana
Fernando Munguia, Men's Swimming & Diving
Keira Nelson, Women's Volleyball

Carroll
Parker Raddatz, Football
Anina Lee, Women's Swimming & Diving

Carthage
Keegan Brumitt, Men's Volleyball
Kate Sumner, Women's Soccer

Elmhurst
Edmund Conroy, Men's Soccer
Payton Schmidt, Women's Basketball

Illinois Wesleyan
Joshua Klein, Football/Men's Track & Field
Nora Robinson, Women's Cross Country/Track & Field

Millikin
Grant Neuhaus, Baseball
Bella Dudley, Women's Basketball

North Central
Sade Hill, Women's Wrestling

North Park
Jereme Ombogo, Men's Track & Field
Victoria Perry, Women's Basketball

Wheaton
Dolan Blair, Men's Track & Field
Paige Andrews, Softball