The Indiana State University athletics department hosted its fall sports banquet on Wednesday, Dec. 7, on ISU's campus. Members of the soccer, football, men's and women's cross country and volleyball teams were honored for their performances during the fall season.
Led by fourth-year head coach Trent Miles, the Sycamore football team posted their second straight winning season in 2011, going 6-5 overall and 4-4 in Missouri Valley Football Conference play, their first back-to-back winning campaigns since 1995 and 1996. The football team picked up a road victory this season at Western Kentucky, the first win over a FBS opponent since 2004. Individually, sophomore Shakir Bell led the country with 1,670 rushing yards (151.8 per game) and is in the final three for this season's Walter Payton Award, which will be announced before the FCS Championship Game in Frisco, Texas.
The Sycamore men's cross country team claimed their third straight Missouri Valley Conference championship this season and head coach John McNichols was named the MVC Coach of the Year for the eighth time in his 29 years of coaching at Indiana State. It was ISU's sixth MVC title in the last eight years. ISU had four runners placed in the top seven during the Championship Race at the LaVern Gibson Course, in: senior Jeremiah Vaughan (second), senior Craig Padgett (fourth), junior Dustin Betz (sixth) and junior Albaro Escalera (seventh).
The Sycamore women's cross country team finished in sixth place as a team during the Championship Race at LaVern Gibson Course. Redshirt sophomore Jessica Zangmeister was ISU's top individual finisher, checking in 11th. Zangmeister and senior Kacie Klem both earned both Academic All-MVC honors following the season.
The Sycamore volleyball team finished the season with a 14-17 record, earning their first trip to the MVC Tournament since 2004. Senior Stacy Qualizza earned Second Team All-MVC honors for the second straight season, after leading ISU with a .370 hitting percentage. Junior Shea Doran was named to the all-tournament team after posting a team-leading .270 hitting percentage with six kills against Wichita State in the conference tournament.
The Indiana State women's soccer team narrowly missed making their fourth straight MVC Tournament on the final day of the season. Senior Seyma Erenli earned First Team All-MVC honors, becoming just the fifth Sycamore to earn the award in program history, while sophomore Shelby Troyer earned honorable mention all-conference and newcomer Natalie Vaught was named to the all-freshman team. Seniors Emily Lahay and Morgan Wendlandt both earn First Team Academic All-MVC, with Wendlandt becoming the first member of the program to receive the award in three consecutive years.
Below is a list of award winners selected by the coaching staffs from the respective sports.
Most Valuable
Soccer: Seyma Erenli
Women's Cross Country: Kacie Klem
Men's Cross Country: Craig Padgett
Volleyball: Stacy Qualizza
Most Improved
Soccer: Shelby Troyer
Women's Cross Country: Kristy Twitchell / Hanna Mercer
Men's Cross Country: Tristan Selby
Volleyball: Shea Doran
Coaches Award
Soccer: Natalie Vaught
Women's Cross Country: Jessica Zangmeister / Andrea Prusz
Men's Cross Country: Dustin Betz
Volleyball: Loni Mackinson
Sycamore Award (Women's Soccer) / Team Leadership Award
Soccer: Morgan Wendlandt
Women's Cross Country: Kacie Klem
Men's Cross Country: Jeremiah Vaughan
Volleyball: Kiya James
Women's soccer bases their award on a combination of high academics, involvement in the community and leadership, renaming the selection as the Sycamore Award.
Football Captains
Offense: Ronnie Fouch
Offense: Brock Lough
Defense: Alex Sewall
Defense: Rod Hardy
Special Teams: Alex Bettag
