On Thursday, May 1, Indiana University Northwest hosted its annual Champions & Leadership Awards in the school’s Arts & Sciences Theater. This marks the third year since Indiana University Northwest Athletics first began celebrating its athletes’ accomplishments with an awards ceremony instead of a formal banquet. Indiana University Northwest student athletes and their parents were joined by Indiana University Northwest coaches, faculty, and staff for this exciting occasion.
The award presentation ceremony was preceded by a reception during which the attendees enjoyed some light refreshments. A red carpet, complete with cordons and an official RedHawk backdrop was set up so the athletes could take photos with their coaches, families, and fellow players.
Ryan Shelton, director of athletics at Indiana University Northwest, enjoys seeing Indiana University Northwest’s RedHawk athletes gather for Champions & Leadership Awards each year.
“This is a great opportunity to bring everyone back together after a very busy year,” Shelton said. “We want this to be a fun event, one that people can look forward to. This is the first time that all of our athletes have been together since the beginning of the year, so we are here to celebrate all of their athletic and academic successes. Being a student athlete is difficult and we want to recognize their hard work in bringing visibility and success to our campus.”
Among the many awards presented during the ceremony were Outstanding Performance By a Freshman, Most Valuable Player, and Scholar Athletes of the Year. The Erica Baran Award, which is named after an Indiana University Northwest alumna and basketball player, was given to two students who live out the “RedHawk Way” through their character, and dedication. An award for Coach of the Year was given out as well. This is also the first year the conference awards RedHawk athletes received were recognized at the Champions & Leadership Awards.
Jessica Carrothers, a graduating junior at Indiana University Northwest and a guard on the RedHawk women’s basketball team, received the Female Athlete of the Year award for the second year in a row. Carrothers received several additional honors, including the 2025 Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Player of the Year award and the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) 2024-2025 Women’s Basketball Player of the Year and Best Defensive Player of the Year awards.
Carrothers is deeply grateful to have been recognized with these honors and will look back fondly on her days playing basketball for Indiana University Northwest.
“I think this is a great note for me to leave Indiana University Northwest on,” Carrothers said. “The university doesn’t necessarily have to have events like this, but I really appreciate that they take the time to recognize us athletes. I’m leaving a team that I really enjoyed being a part of. I love the girls, the coaching staff, and the athletic department. Everybody was very supportive and loving. I want my teammates to know that I love them and that, wherever I go, I’ll always be a RedHawk.”
Along with a number of other honors, Trace Williams, a graduating senior at Indiana University Northwest and a guard on the RedHawk men’s basketball team, received both the 2025 Male Athlete of the Year award and the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) 2024-2025 Men’s Basketball Player of the Year award.
Williams appreciates seeing all of his hard work pay off in this way.
“I put a lot of work in to try and get here,” Williams said. “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for my family and my teammates. I’m going to miss it here. I only studied at Indiana University Northwest for two years, although I wish I could have spent all four years here. It’s been an amazing two years, though. Since we play different sports, us RedHawk athletes don’t have many opportunities to support one another. Now that everyone is here in this group setting, we get to show a lot of love and support for the people who have won awards.”
Jamie McNicholas, head women’s soccer coach at Indiana University Northwest, considers the Champions & Leadership Awards to be an ideal way to celebrate RedHawk athletes’ achievements.
“This is a great event overall,” McNicholas said. “We had a really positive year across all of our athletic programs. Many of our athletes have done a fantastic job, even going above and beyond what we coaches may have expected. While the other coaches and I work hard to develop teams and programs, we're also working to develop people and athletes. I see student athletes every single day on the practice field and see them putting in the hard work in the classroom. It’s nice to see them be recognized by not only other student athletes, but the rest of the school as well.”
You can learn more about Indiana University Northwest’s educational programs and upcoming events by visiting northwest.iu.edu.
