LAKEVILLE - Teachers Credit Union (TCU) awarded two student-athletes with the annual W.B. Hawkins Award for excellence in academics and athletics at the 55th annual TCU Bi-County Tournament this past weekend. Established in 2004, the Hawkins Award annually recognizes two students for their work on the field and in the classroom, and for their ability to inspire those around them.
The W. B. Hawkins Award for Excellence in Academics and Athletics is presented to two students for their positive contribution to their community and to their school. This award was established to honor TCU’s former president, W. B. Hawkins (1962-1987) who was dedicated to serving our communities and the Credit Union philosophy of “People Helping People.” For nearly 90 years, we have operated under that same guiding principle.
At the conclusion of the girls' championship game Saturday night, the 2020 recipients of the W.B. Hawkins Award were announced. A $1,000 scholarship went to the high school's of Chase Ketterer (New Prairie) and Whytnie Miller (Triton). Miller becomes only the second Triton student-athlete to receive the award. Triton Lady Trojan Brooklyn Beatty received the honor in 2016.
The following is the transcript to the video below.
Steve Cox: Teacher’s Credit Union is our corporate sponsor. Each year they're the sponsors for the W.B. Hawkins Award for Excellence in Academics and Athletics. It is presented to two students for their positive contributions to their community and to their school. This award was established to honor TCU’s former president, W. B. Hawkins (1962-1987) who was dedicated to serving our communities and the Credit Union philosophy of “People Helping People.” For nearly 90 years, we have operated under that same guiding principle.
At this time let's meet all of the award nominees:
First from:
Argos High School: Owen Nifong and Macy Morris
Bremen High School: Reece Willis and Erin Coffel
Culver High School: Owen Valiquet and Alexandra Temme
John Glenn High School: Khori Barker and Raegan Romer
LaVille High School: Connor Wieczorek and Trynitie Cox
New Prairie High School: Chase Ketterer and Jordan Winters
Oregon-Davis High School: Garrett Weil and Jayden Worthington
Triton High School: Jared Bules and Whytnie Miller
Again, let’s have a nice round of applause for W.B. Hawkins award nominees.
At this time, I’d like to turn the microphone over to TCU representative Randy Lemert for a few comments.
Randy Lemert: Thank you. TCU is proud to continue to offer sponsorship of the 55th annual TCU Bi-County Tournament. It’s a pleasure to work with the school administration. Particularly the athletic department of LaVille High School that runs a class tournament that many consider to be the best mid-season tournament in the State of Indiana. And as you saw in the first game, and I know we’ll see it in the second, the players laid it all on the line here and thank you to the fans for creating the environment that this tournament is all about. The athletes who are on the floor here represent the best of what high school athletics is all about. They are leaders in their communities, leaders in the classroom, and just represent all the best. TCU wants to recognize them for the characteristics they represent and thank you fans for all your support.
Steve Cox: Thank you Randy.
Our female 2020 W. B. Hawkins Award for work ethic, leadership, sportsmanship are evident in all that she does, says. The coach of this year’s recipient (Adam Heckaman) added that she’s the type of teammate and competitor that only comes around once in a great while. From cross-country to golf, softball to basketball, this senior is a skilled and versatile athlete. And just being a member of the team has helped her grow as a leader. Sidelined some due to injuries, her actions from the bench were as impactful as her on field performance. She continued to propel her teammates forward despite her personal setbacks. While unable to play, she remained optimistic, focused, and determined to achieve her goals. An active member of Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy, she also regularly assists with the elementary school’s annual Books and Baskets event where younger students are paired with high school athletes. She also oversaw and helped recruit other volunteers for the high school’s field day. She is a four year member of science, Spanish, and spirit clubs, student council, Indiana DECA, a program that prepares students for careers in marketing, finance, and management. A member of the National Honor Society, she’s also ranked first in her class, maintained a 4.0 GPA. please join me in recognizing 2020 girls W.B. Hawkins Award recipient, Triton Jr/Sr High School’s Whytnie Miller.
