Chicago, Ill. - Thursday night inside the Keating Sports Center, the Illinois Tech Athletics Department all came together to celebrate the 2022-23 athletics seasons. All teams from each season were represented by coaches and student-athletes during the end of year athletics banquet where multiple awards were passed out, as well as a celebration of the seniors from each sport.
Assistant Vice President - Director of Athletics Usha Gilmore kicked off the evening welcoming everyone in before handing the mic off to Sports Information Director Eric Willuweit to begin the awards ceremony.
The major awards of the night were Male/Female Athlete of the Season, Male/Female Athlete of the Year, and Male/Female Freshman of the Year.
Male Athlete of the Season
Fall - Michael Kaczowka - men’s soccer
Winter - Milos Dugalic - men’s basketball
Spring - Connor Blake - baseball
Female Athlete of the Season
Fall - Clàudia Martí Fanlo - women’s soccer
Winter - Anna Slominski - women’s swimming and diving
Spring - Kelly Hitchcock - women’s lacrosse
Athlete of the Year
Male - Milos Dugalic - men’s basketball
Female - Anna Slominski - women’s swimming and diving
Freshman of the Year
Male - Jackson Brass - men’s lacrosse
Female - Olivia Jameson - women’s track & field
In addition to the major awards, individual awards were also presented throughout the evening for each team for Most Valuable Player and Excellence in Sports.
The following won Most Valuable Player for their sport:
Michael Kaczowka - men’s soccer
Andre Torres - men’s tennis
Natalie Hamill - women’s tennis
Briar Moore - women’s volleyball
Jackson Van Engen - men’s volleyball
Kelly Hitchcock - women’s soccer
Milos Dugalic - men’s basketball
Anna Slominski - women’s swimming & diving
Mark Klinchin - men’s swimming & diving
Spencer Meace - men’s lacrosse
Kelly Hitchcock - women’s lacrosse
Joseph Loriso - men’s cross country
Sophia Halama - women’s cross country
Noah Butzman - men’s indoor track & field
Amelia Moseman - women’ indoor track & field
Evan Balizado - men’s outdoor track & field
Zoe Turner - women’s outdoor track & field
Julia Bucci - women’s basketball
Connor Blake - baseball
The Excellence in Sports award is awarded to the player that best exemplifies team spirit and dedication to the team’s vision and goal.
The following won the Excellence in Sports award in their sport:
Colin Harris - men’s soccer
Ulyses Bueno Canosa - men’s tennis
Ashley Dame - women’s tennis
London Francis - women’s volleyball
Grant Couper - men’s volleyball
Cheryl Gardner - women’s soccer
Otis Reale - men’s basketball
Anna Slominski - women’s swimming & diving
Tristan Minarik - men’s swimming & diving
Creighton Gaff - men’s lacrosse
Chloe Rubinowicz - women’s basketball
Faith Busche - women’s lacrosse
Mason Brewer - men’s cross country
Adelina Zahner - women’s cross country
Rishi Goyal - men’s indoor track & field
Annika McKown - women’s indoor track & field
Kyle Kotarba - men’s outdoor track & field
Gabriella Baltes - women’s outdoor track & field
Patrick Day - baseball
llinois Tech All-Academic Awards: The following student-athletes were honored for earning a GPA of 3.8 or higher:
Adam Falcigno, Alex Kuban, Alex Maliwat, David Glazener, Devin Zakeri, Josh Plimpton, Liam Palmatier, Matthew Gombar, Michael Kaczowka, Zahed Al-Hajji, Sadie Harrington, Ellie Leach, Stephanie Nguyen, Anna Sebastio, Alli Wilkins, Faith Busche, Kelly Hitchcock, Iona Pettigrew, Alison Yurchak, Ulysses Bueno Canosa, Ashley Dame, Natalie Hamil, Maaria Ros, Mouna Chahin, Jack Bovone, Chance Huillermo, Elijah Johnson, Riley Laite, Cheryl Gardner, Rachel Brettin, Mary Frampton, Allison Muray, Mackenzie Nelson, Lucy Vanveldhuisen, Sarah Thomas, Savanna Gonzalez, Rachael Fujimori, Caitie Chismarich, Carolyn Beltran, Jayla Anaya, Nicole Fajardo, Kenna Flores, Jamie Griggs, Clàudia Martí Fanlo, Patrick Blanchard, Garrison Carter, Peter Mayer, Ahmad Muhammad, Bhuva Rajagopal, Otis Reale, Allan Watatani, Cole Whipple, Zachary Yujnovich, Nethmi Boperatchy, Aditi Iyer, Maria Plencner, Anna Slominski, Samuel Kastan, Nicholas Kremin, Mitchel Lucky, Tristan Minarik, Julia Bucci, Laura Castenada, Aaisha Hafeeze, Chloe Rubuinowicz, Allie Sillo, Alejandro Torres, Sophia Halama, Noah Butzman, Finnick Poulin, Olivia Jameson, Valerie Lending, Brandon Bennitt, David Cooper, Austin Richardson, and Jonah Wilkes.
Lastly, the following graduating seniors from each sport were honored for their contributions to their sports and Illinois Tech:
Younghoon Jung, Mikhil Youssef, Matthew Gombar, Jordan Plewa, Caleb Terronez, Colin Harris, Ziyad Yacoubou, Daniel Kulawiak, David De La Fuente, Joshua Plimpton, Ellie Leach, Jessica Weaver, Alli Wilkins, Kasia Staron, Ulysses Bueno Canosa, Rodrigo Casado, Huy Ngo, Mouna Chahin, Maria Ros, Maria Berroci, Michal Markevych, Jack Bovone, Chance Guillermo, Alexis Williamson, Katelyn Holcomb, Cheryl Gardner, Nicole Fajardo, Savanna Gonzalez, Jamie Griggs, Clàudia Martí Fanlo, Kenna Flores, Milos Dugalic, Ahmad Muhammad, Otis Reale, Derrick Faulkner, Jay Lomax, Aditi Iyer, Anna Slominski, Mitchell Lucky, Samuel Kalenowski, Samuel Kastan, Zane Handy, Reed Tangeman, Ryan Arbour, Creighton Gaff, Kaleab Uebelher, Aidan Gans, Spencer Meace, Juan Bohorquez, James Enterline, Jeremy Cohen, Nehemyah Green, Cornelio Estrella, Evan Balizado, Christian Allen, Trevor Whitlatch, Alexander Dhom, Louis Ketchman, Catherine Klemp, and Chloe Rubuinowicz.
Congratulations to all student-athletes for their efforts during the 2022-23 school year!