Sangamon Sun

Lincoln Land Community College (LLCC) recently announced the recipients of the 2016 Dick Dhabalt Athlete of the Year Award. The boys' award went to baseball player Ben Hecht from Effingham, and the girls' award went to Claire Reinthaler of Heyworth.

Hecht, a pitcher and infielder, was named an NJCAA Academic All-American, first-team All Region XXIV and first-team All-Midwest Athletic Conference, putting up a 3.33 ERA, 92 strikeouts in 81 innings and an overall record of 9-3. Offensively, he had a .427 batting average, with 82 hits (15 doubles, five triples and seven home runs). Hecht helped lead the Loggers to a record of 39-20 and will be transferring to Wichita State University in Kansas.

Reinthaler, a middle hitter for the Loggers, was named a second-team NJCAA All-American, as well as Academic All-American, first-team All-Region XXIV and Co-Player of the Year, as well as first-team All-Midwest Athletic Conference. In 45 matches, she averaged 2.02 kills per set and had 115 blocks, 222 digs, 63 aces and 429 points. Reinthaler's .379 hitting average set a new school record at LLCC. Reinthaler helped lead the Loggers to a runner-up finish at the NJCAA Division II Tournament in Phoenix. Reinthaler will be transferring to Trevacca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Dhabalt Athlete of the Year Award annually recognizes one male and one female athlete at LLCC, and was established in 2015. The award is named in honor of Dick Dhabalt, the former athletic director, head men's basketball coach and faculty member at LLCC.