Sangamon Sun

Illinois College's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) held the 4th Annual True Blue Awards on April 14, acknowledging the achievements of its student-athletes from Spring 2024 to Winter 2025. The event highlighted academic and athletic excellence inside King Fieldhouse.

The evening commenced with recognition of the 132 Academic All-Conference awardees. Professor Angela Balfe inducted 41 new members into Chi Alpha Sigma, a national honor society recognizing student-athletes maintaining a GPA of 3.4 or higher and attaining junior academic standing.

Women's tennis received the highest GPA award among smaller teams, while women's volleyball secured the award for larger teams. Provost O'Connell presented the Dean H. Baldwin Scholar-Athlete Award. This year’s recipients were Thomas Menke from men's soccer with a 4.0 GPA and Ligaya Garibay from volleyball with a 3.86 GPA.

Athletic Director Meghan Roman awarded the Downer and Hopper titles to Deja Anderson and Collin Brunstein as top athletes. Brunstein, a record-breaking wide receiver, was named first-team All-American. Quarterback Destin Chance and men's track and field's Dylan Doss also received All-American honors.

SAAC recognized standout athletes for their conference performances, including Deja Anderson and Adam Hernandez, both awarded Outdoor Newcomer of the Year. Coaching accolades acknowledged Christopher Sykes and the women's track and field staff.

SAAC announced the winners of student-voted awards, noting achievements like Jacob Pelletier's play of the year and performances by women's indoor track & field. Alyssa Wise and Sam Stimler earned First-Year Student-Athlete of the Year honors.

The night concluded with the True Blue Award going to Connor Hennemann for exemplary leadership. He was celebrated for his contributions on and off the field. Illinois College President Dr. Barbara Farley closed the event, expressing gratitude to senior athletes for their dedication.