Muskingum University Athletic Department honors 13 student-athletes
NEW CONCORD, OHIO, May 2, 2013 -The Muskingum University Athletic Department has announced that a total of 13 student-athletes have been recognized for their achievements both in the classroom and on the field.
Freshman basketball guard Karen Sidwell (Zanesville/Maysville), freshman track athlete Trevon Sawyer (Berea) and freshman wrestler Rusty Lockhart (Akron/Coventry) were presented with the William F. Lange Outstanding Freshmen Awards. 
Sidwell played in every game and was third on the team in scoring (8.4 ppg). She averaged 26.3 minutes per contest and 4.0 rebounds per game. Sidwell registered 31 assists and notched 29 steals.
Sawyer set the Muskingum indoor record for the high jump with a mark of 6-8.25 en route to finishing second at the Ohio Athletic Conference Championships and being named All-OAC . He also was named All-Ohio after finishing second at the All-Ohio Indoor Championships. Sawyer ended the indoor season at the top ranked freshman in the high jump in NCAA Division III.
Lockhart was named All-OAC in the 184-pound weight class after posting an impressive 5-0 record in OAC dual meets. He ended the year with 18 wins, which included five falls and three technical falls. Lockhart finished fifth at the Waynesburg University Invitational.
Senior volleyball and track athlete Katie Sidwell (Zanesville/Maysville) and junior defensive end and wrestler Luke Weber (Loudonville) were honored with the Ann White and Roy "Red" Turner Strive for Excellence Awards.
Sidwell helped lead the Muskie volleyball team with career-high numbers in kills (196), digs (69), blocks (52) and service aces (33). In track, Sidwell was named All-Ohio Athletic Conference in the discus after finishing third at the OAC Championships with a toss of 123-00.
Weber played in all 10 games for the Muskie football team and ended the season with 10 tackles and one sack. On the wrestling mat, Weber recorded 18 wins and eight pin falls. He placed third in the 197-pound weight class at the Waynesburg University Invitational and fifth at the Indiana Little State Tournament.
Senior third baseman Apryl Patterson (Belle Vernon, Pa.) was recognized as the Barbara Steiner Outstanding Senior Female Athlete, while senior track athlete Chase Addy (Newcomerstown) was acknowledged as the William G. Moore Outstanding Senior Male Athlete.
Patterson ended her tenure as a .349 career hitter with 109 runs scored, 69 RBIs, 30 doubles, seven triples and six home runs. She was named Honorable Mention All-Ohio Athletic Conference her junior year when she led Muskingum with a career-best .420 batting average and posted team-highs with 55 hits and 32 runs.
Addy is an eight-time All-Ohio Athletic Conference honoree and five-time All-Ohio honoree in the pole vault. He is a six-time NCAA national qualifier in the event and has won six OAC Championships and two All-Ohio Championships. Addy has competed at three NCAA National Championships and finished ninth in the nation at the 2012-13 national indoor championships and currently ranks eighth in the nation for the 2013 outdoor track & field season. Addy was awarded the William F. Lange Outstanding Freshman Male Award in 2010.
Senior basketball guard Jendy Weppler (Gahanna/Gahanna Lincoln) and senior football defensive lineman Steve Stooksbury (Centerburg/Highland) were honored with the Ohio Athletic Conference Clyde Lamb Award. Criteria for the award include at least two years participation in an OAC-sponsored sport, senior status, a minimum grade point average of 3.00 and sportsmanlike conduct in a manner that has brought credit to the student-athlete and his or her institution.
Weppler, a chemistry and molecular biology major, also minors in biology, psychology and Spanish. She was a three-year member of both the Muskingum women’s basketball and softball teams. This year on the court, Weppler led the OAC in minutes played per game (37.1) and ranked fourth in free throw shooting percentage (.762). She averaged 6.6 points and 3.3 rebounds per game and is a two-time Academic All-OAC selection. Weppler was named Academic All-OAC for softball in 2012. Academically, Weppler has ranked in the top five percent of her class for four years and has made the Dean’s List every semester. She was awarded the William J. Wallace Award for Exceptional Juniors, awarded the E.R. “Rudy” Gerlacch Chemistry Award, honored with the Polyed Award for Performance in Organic Chemistry, awarded the CRC Press Annual Freshman Chemistry Achievement Award and was named the Science Student of the Month. Weppler has served as Vice President and President of the Muskingum Chapter of the American Chemical Society and is a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society and Lambda Sigma Honor Society. Weppler has worked as a tutor for OGT and general/organic chemistry and served as a First-Year Seminar mentor and has volunteered at the New Concord Fire Department for three years as an EMT-Basic. Weppler was named the Ann White Strive for Excellence Award winner in 2011.
Stooksbury, a special education major, has been on the Dean’s List multiple times and is a member of the Lambda Sigma National Sophomore Honorary. Stooksbury was a four-year letterwinner in football and three-year letterwinner in track. On the football field this past season, Stooksbury ranked third on the team with 39 tackles, with 2.5 tackles for loss. He also recovered two fumbles and forced one fumble. He is a two-time All-OAC honoree (HM in 2011, 2nd Team in 2012), an Academic All-OAC selection and was named the Ohio Athletic Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Month in March of 2012. For track, Stooksbury has shined in the shot put and weight throw and routinely placed in the top tier of the field and has advanced to the Ohio Athletic Conference Championships. Stooksbury has volunteered for Special Olympic bowling events and is a member of the Muskingum Bible study group. He also finds time to work as one of the lead teachers at the Muskingum University Center for Child Development, which is one of the top child development centers in southeastern Ohio. Stooksbury was named the Roy "Red" Turner Strive for Excellence Award winner in 2011.
Senior football defensive lineman Ben Durbin (Danville/Danville Local), senior men’s soccer defender Patrick Normansell (New Concord/John Glenn), senior women’s basketball guard Bridgette Neighbors (Chillicothe/Huntington) and senior softball outfielder/pitcher Andrea Larkin (Dover) were all honored with the Greg Riggar Dedication to Sport Award. The award is bestowed upon senior student-athletes at Muskingum who show excellence in associated areas of dedication to sport, leadership, and practice habits. The athlete must have participated for all four years of his/her collegiate career, be held in high esteem by his/her fellow teammates and also exhibit the qualities of loyalty and discipline.
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