It was quite a spring for the Prairie Fire. The baseball and men's golf team won Midwest Conference championships and advanced to NCAA Division III Championship tournaments. David Marquardt won the MWC individual title and earned Second Team All-American honors with his 14th-place finish at the NCAA Men's Golf Championships. Knox had the MWC South Division Player of the Year in both baseball and softball with Paul Bennett and Katie Dura, respectively, bringing home the honors. Bennett was coached by South Division Coach of the Year Jami Isaacson.

On the track, Tim Rairdon set a pair of individual outdoor school records in the 800-meter run and the 1500-meter run. Pam Bell won the conference title in the long jump on the women's side.

Similar success was achieved in the classroom. A total of 20 Knox students were named to the Midwest Conference All-Academic Spring Sports Team, and Bennett earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District honors and was placed on the Academic All-American ballot.

The season was capped off by the annual Spring Sports Banquet on Monday, May 19, in the Lincoln Room in Seymour Union. Awards were presented by Knox College President Roger Taylor, Anne Taylor, Knox Director of Athletics Chad Eisele and Faculty Representative Larry Welch. Head coaches also announced their 2008 team award winners and their 2008-09 team captains.

Seniors Greg Leibach, from St. Louis, Missouri (University High School), and Leah Heister, from Bristol, Connecticut (Briston Eastern High School), won the Dean S. Trevor Award for Men and Women, respectively. The awards are given to the senior male and female student-athletes who exemplify the traits of Dean Trevor. Those include competitive excellence, integrity, honesty, and commitment to scholarship.

Leibach was an important member of both the Knox wrestling and baseball teams. On the wrestling mat, he won 13 matches this year and placed in two tournaments. He then earned second team all-conference honors as a first baseman, helping Knox to its first-ever appearance at the National Baseball Championships. He finished the year with a .336 batting average and was named to the all-Midwest Conference second team.

Head wrestling coach Tony Islas said, "This is the young man every coach hopes to have a roster full of. His work ethic, determination and coachability make him an incredible asset. I have had the privilege of watching his ability mature and the honor of making a great friend. I know he will be successful at whatever he does in his life."

After suffering a personal loss while abroad in the fall before returning to participate in the two sports, Leibach also won the Sandburg Mental Toughness Award, given to the senior student-athlete who is judged to have dealt most effectively with adversity during his or her Knox career.

Along with the Dean S. Trevor Award for Women, Heister also won the Evelyn Bielfeldt Award, given to the senior female student-athlete with the most outstanding career in intercollegiate athletics. Heister won a total of 12 varsity letters in soccer, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field during her career at Knox. She has played all over the soccer field and finished her four-year career with 15 goals, seven assists and 37 total points in 63 games.

On the track, the two-year team captain placed at the conference championship meet three times in her career, including an eighth-place finish in the triple jump at the 2008 outdoor meet. Heister participated in sprints, relays, hurdles and sand jumps, and as a sophomore, became only the second Knox female to complete the seven-event heptathlon. She has earned academic all-conference honors in all three sports every season.

Senior Jaran Rutledge, from Mundelein, Illinois (Carmel High School), won three awards. He was presented with the J.W. Hilding Prize, given to the senior male student-athlete with the most outstanding career in intercollegiate athletics; the Harley Knosher Country Insurance and Financial Services Male Athlete of the Year Award, given to the outstanding male student-athlete of the year; and the Cleaveland Bridgman Award, given to the male student-athlete selected as the "outstanding performer in an individual sport" in a given year.

Rutledge, a two-time wrestling All-American, finished third at the national tournament in 2007 before taking eighth place in 2008. He won 32 matches this year and won four individual championships. Over his four-year wrestling career, Rutledge won 116 matches. On the football field, the defensive lineman earned second team all-conference honors after finishing with 31 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and five sacks.

Head wrestling coach Tony Islas said, "I am truly honored to have known and had the opportunity to coach this young man to more than 100 career college varsity wins and numerous tournament championships. Having accomplished so much in his college years, I know he is prepared and capable of overcoming anything life throws at him. He will always be a champion."

Senior Katie Dura, from Edwards, Illinois (Brimfield High School), won the Harley Knosher Country Insurance and Financial Services Female Athlete of the Year Award, given to the outstanding female student-athlete of the year. Dura was the first Knox softball player to be named the Midwest Conference South Division Player of the Year. The senior catcher also was named to the all-region third team after leading the Prairie Fire in batting average, hits, doubles, home runs, RBIs and runs scored. The two-time first team all-conference selection reached base safely in 24 of the 26 games she played.

Senior Pam Bell, from St. Louis, Missouri (Crossroads High School), won the Michel Loomis Award, given to the female student-athlete selected as the "outstanding performer in an individual sport" in a given year. Bell won the long jump at the Midwest Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships. She added a sixth-place showing in the 100-meter dash and a seventh-place effort in the high jump. During the indoor season, she also finished with three top-eight performances at the conference meet. She earned all-conference honors with her third place effort in the 200-meter dash, and she took fourth in the high jump and seventh in the long jump. She has earned all-conference honors four times in her career.

Assistant Professor of Physics Mark Shroyer won the David Robinson Fan of the Year Award, given to the person or persons deemed to have given Knox teams the most sincere and comprehensive support during any given year. In his third year at Knox, Shroyer has been a loyal and supportive fan of Prairie Fire athletics from the beginning. He has helped out at several home events, and often times has done so on short notice. He is also a member of the NBA – the Noon Basketball Association.

Director of Facility Services Scott Maust won the David Agar Award, given to the person or persons with the most outstanding contributions to athletics in a non-competitive capacity. Maust is largely responsible for the outstanding athletic facilities Knox College is fortunate to utilize on a daily basis. He has been instrumental in guiding the facility improvements on the Andrew Fitness Center, the Porter Wrestling Complex, Trevor Track at Turner Field, Memorial Gymnasium, and the Knosher Bowl. His diligence and patience through the design phase right through the build phase have made each of these projects a tremendous success.

2008 Spring Banquet Awards

Dean Trevor Award for Men - Greg Leibach (Sr., St. Louis, Missouri)
Dean Trevor Award for Women - Leah Heister (Sr., Bristol, Connecticut)
J.W. Hilding Prize - Jaran Rutledge (Sr., Mundelein, Illinois)
Evelyn Bielfeldt Award - Leah Heister (Sr., Bristol, Connecticut)
Harley Knosher Country Insurance and Financial Services Male Athlete of the Year - Jaran Rutledge (Sr., Mundelein, Illinois)
Harley Knosher Country Insurance and Financial Services Female Athlete of the Year - Katie Dura (Sr., Edwards, Illinois)
Cleaveland Bridgman Award - Jaran Rutledge (Sr., Mundelein, Illinois)
Michel Loomis Award - Pam Bell (Sr., St. Louis, Missouri)
Sandburg Mental Toughness Award - Greg Leibach (Sr., St. Louis, Missouri)
David Robinson Fan of the Year Award - Mark Shroyer (Assistant Professor of Physics)
David Agar Award - Scott Maust (Director of Facility Services)

2008 Spring Banquet Team Awards

Outdoor Track and Field (Head Coaches: Patrick Irwin, Dan Zierfuss)
Most Valuable Men's Outdoor Track Athlete - Tim Rairdon (Sr., St. Charles, Illinois)
Most Valuable Women's Outdoor Track Athlete - Pam Bell (Sr., St. Louis, Missouri)
Most Valuable Men's Outdoor Field Athlete - Adam Kent (So., Lake Stevens, Washington)
Most Valuable Women's Outdoor Field Athlete - Pam Bell (Sr., St. Louis, Missouri)
Men's Newcomer of the Year - Bill Schaefer (Fr., Grand Junction, Colorado)
Women's Newcomer of the Year - Chloe Bohm (Fr., Lake Forest, Illinois)
Most Improved Men's Athlete - Courtney Jude (Fr., Country Club Hills, Illinois)
Most Improved Women's Athlete - Christina Davis (So., Dolton, Illinois)
2008-09 Men's Captains - TBA
2008-09 Women's Captains - TBA

Softball (Head Coach: Jami Strinz)
Most Valuable Player - Katie Dura (Sr., Edwards, Illinois)
Most Valuable Defensive Player - Jenny Golz (Sr., Evergreen Park, Illinois)
Most Valuable Offensive Player - Katie Dura (Sr., Edwards, Illinois)
Most Valuable Team Member - Leah Millis (So., Denver, Colorado)
Most Improved Player - Cassie Milleville (So., Westchester, Illinois)
2008-09 Captains - TBA

Men's Tennis (Head Coach: Chad Eisele)
Most Valuable Player - Jared Katchen (So., Galesburg, Illinois)
Most Improved Player - Matthew Stockov (Sr., Canton, Illinois)
2008-09 Captains - TBA

Men's Golf (Head Coach: C.J. Rugh)
Most Valuable Player - David Marquardt (Sr., Bloomington, Illinois)
Most Improved Player - Kevin Foerster (So., Woodstock, Illinois)
2008-09 Captains - Kevin Foerster (So., Woodstock, Illinois), Mark Janicik (So., Clarendon Hills, Illinois)

Baseball (Head Coach: Jami Isaacson)
Most Valuable Player - Paul Bennett (Sr., Edwards, Illinois)
Most Valuable Defensive Player - George Nicholson (So., Marengo, Illinois)
Most Improved Player - John Curtin (Jr., Brooklyn, New York)
2008-09 Captains - Sammy Almohandis (Jr., Tulsa, Oklahoma), Adam Estergard (Jr., Urbana, Illinois), Kevin Malone (Jr., Bushnell, Illinois)