Student-athletes to be recognized at State Farm banquet

Posted on May 31, 2018

By Patrick Baron

BLOOMINGTON – Finalists have been announced for the State Farm Student-Athlete Recognition Banquet.

The annual event presents awards to a number of McLean County sports teams, coaches, and individual athletes.

In the category of Female Team of the Year, the finalists are U-High volleyball, Ridgeview/Lexington Girls Track and Field, and Normal West soccer. The Male Team of the Year finalists are U-High tennis, Ridgeview/Lexington Track and Field, and Central Catholic basketball.

The full list of finalists are as follows:

Female Team of the Year:
• U-High Volleyball
• Ridgeview/Lexington Girls T&F
• Normal West Girls Soccer

Male Team of the Year:
• U-High Boys Tennis
• Ridgeview/Lexington Boys T&F
• Central Catholic Boys Basketball

Coach of the Year – Female Sport:
• Mike Bolhuis – U-High Volleyball
• Clark Owsley – Ridgeview/Lexington T&F
• Heather Budak – Normal Comm. Girls Swimming

Coach of the Year – Male Sport:
• Mike Benton – Ridgeview/Lexington T&F
• Mark Gardner – Bloomington Wrestling
• Jason Welch – Central Catholic Boys Basketball

Good Neighbor Award:
• Heyworth & El Paso-Gridley Girls Basketball
• Central Catholic High School
• Illinois State University

Female Scholar Athlete:
• Melissa Pish – Normal West
• Cheyenne Carr – El Paso-Gridley
• Amber Tomlin – Heyworth

Male Scholar Athlete:
• Josh Friesen – U-High
• Jared Schuckman – U-High
• Jack Henry – Bloomington

Special Olympics Female Athlete:
• Chelsea Wycoff
• Hannah Baker
• Ryley Blumershine

Special Olympics Male Athlete:
• Nick Phifer
• Brady Sutton
• Daniel Johnson

Female Athlete:
• Ellie Weltha – Bloomington
• Grace Ariola – Normal Community
• Hannah Clayton – Tri-Valley

Male Athlete:
• Zach Bradford – Bloomington
• James Morris – Central Catholic
• Trevor Tucci – Normal Community

Winners will be announced at the banquet on June 19 at 7 p.m. at the Radisson Hotel & Conference Center located at 8 Traders Circle in Normal. Illinois State University Athletics Director Larry Lyons will be the key note speaker at this year’s banquet.

Tickets are $25 and can be purchased by calling the Bloomington-Normal Area Convention and Visitors Bureau at (309) 665-0033.

Patrick Baron can be reached at [email protected].

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