BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The presentation of top male and female athlete awards along with doling out the annual Order of Titans awards to deserving senior student-athletes highlighted the ninth annual "Victory With Honor Senior Banquet", held Wednesday, April 28. To view the banquet on-demand, click here.

Women's cross country and track and field standout Adriana Crabtree (Normal, Ill.-University High) and volleyball player Taylor French (Romeoville, Ill.-Plainfield East) shared the Barb Cothren Award, named in honor of longtime IWU coach and women's athletic administrator. Men's track and field star Evan Lowder (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community) received the Dennie Bridges Award, named for the longtime IWU coach and athletic director.

Softball pitcher Caroline Gatchell (Grayslake, Ill.-Carmel Catholic) was named the recipient of the Jason Jones True Titan Award, presented to the senior student-athlete who represents the highest character as a member of the Titan Athletic Community. The award is named for the former Titan basketball and baseball standout, a 1991 graduate, who perished in a plane crash in April 2015. 

Track and field student-athlete Ashtin Elder (Chenoa, Ill.-Prairie Central) earned the Steve Doran Award, presented to the senior who performs the highest community service as a member of the Titan Athletic Community. The award is named for the 1979 graduate who was a Titan basketball player who became an oral surgeon locally and performed many humanitarian outreaches to perform oral surgery to the underprivileged in Haiti and Honduras. He died in December 2018 on a medical mission trip in Haiti. 

The "Order of Titans" honorary members at Illinois Wesleyan are chosen annually by members of the coaching and physical education staff and are selected on the basis of academic accomplishments, athletic contributions, and general citizenship. The awards were presented to male athletes only until 1975 and women have been included as honorees since 1976. Order of Titans members receive lifetime passes to IWU home athletic events. To view a full list of Order of Titans honorees, click here.

The 2026 Order of Titans winners are:
WOMEN - Ava Bardic (basketball), Anna Beckman (softball), Kannyn Boyd (volleyball), Gianna Certa (softball), Adriana Crabtree (cross country/track and field), Taylor French (volleyball), Bella Gonzalez (track and field), Jordynn Griffin (track and field), Kayleigh Kuschewski (swimming and diving), Brooke Nazos (cross country/track and field), Sadie Newton (lacrosse), Claire Post (softball), Abby Quinn (cross country/track and field), Sarah Riepe (lacrosse), Hannah Tellor (volleyball), Sawyer White (basketball), Casey Wissmiller (softball)

MEN - Juney Bai (golf), Karlo Colak (basketball), Zack Daniel (cross country/track and field), Will Davidsmeier (baseball), Jack Flagg (baseball), Joe Freedman (track and field), Seth Hamerski (cross country/track and field), Aidan Healy (golf), Kalabi Kamau (soccer), Sam Kedzior (soccer), Evan Lowder (track and field), Zach Marquardt (track and field), Billy McHugh (lacrosse), Karsten Nordlie (lacrosse), Jake Pullam (baseball), Jahari Scott (football/track and field), Cole Shamhart (baseball), Jerry Smazil (soccer), Michael Spitzer (golf), Ian Turnbull (tennis), Ben Vigneri (tennis), Isaac Whitaker (track and field), Gage Wolfe (baseball)