Division I institution Although this document notes the successes we ve experienced in the last year, please join me in looking forward
Forward to what can be; the successes we can achieve; the next memorable moments for Leatherneck Athletics For that to happen, we need your support The need has never been greater to help Leatherneck Athletics re-emerge as a dominant program. Support from the Leatherneck Club membership is what truly makes the difference for our student-athletes, coaches, and staff.
Now let's take a moment to look back at what made this past year a GREAT YEAR to be a LEATHERNECK!!!
PAUL A. BUBB DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS
mission, is to provide an outstanding intercollegiate athletics experience to an academically successful and diverse NCAA Division I student-athlete population.
strategic pillars
Diligently Supporting Scholar-Athlete Achievement & Experience 1. Attaining Sustainable Success 2. Connecting with Campus 3. Engaging Our Community 4 Telling Our Story 5.
MANy TEAMS, ONE GOAL: STUDENT SUCCESS
LEATHERNECK ATHLETICS ANNUAL REPORT
2023-2024
POSTSEASON
TOP 5 FINISHES
During the 2023-24 academic year, 15 of WIU’s 17 varsity athletic teams competed in the Ohio Valley Conference for the first time. Six of those 15 posted top-5 finishes in the conference in just the first year of competition.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
WOMEN’S GOLF
MEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD
WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD
MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD
WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD
During the 2023-24 academic year, seven Leatherneck student-athletes earned AllConference honors for the Ohio Valley Conference.
J.R. Heavilin Baseball
Caden Kratz Baseball 2nd Team
LEATHERNECK ATHLETICS
ANNUAL REPORT
Aliyah adams
OVC Female Athlete of the Championship Indoor Track & Field
OVC Female Athlete of the Championship Outdoor Track & Field
2023-2024
Drew Cisse
OVC Defensive Player of the Year Men’s Basketball
OVC Scholar-Athlete Cross Country/Track & Field logan lommel
OVC Freshman of the Year Women’s Basketball
RAEGAN MCCOwAN
LEATHERNECK ATHLETICS ANNUAL REPORT
2023-2024
ARNIE GRUNERT
All-American - Honorable Mention Men’s Track & Field
Grunert qualified as a pole vaulter for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships held in Eugene, Oregon. He finished 17th overall, with a jump of 17 feet 1.5 inches.
LEATHERNECK ATHLETICS
ANNUAL REPORT
2023-2024
pro ‘necks
Five Leathernecks had opportunities to play at the next level after leaving WIU.
j.j.ross
NFL Camp - Seattle Seahawks
nickd’ambra
NFL Camp - Denver Broncos
CESARFRANCO
MLB - Oakland A’s
JoePetrakis
Spars Realway Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
j.r.heavilin
Windy City Thunderbirds (Independent League)
LEATHERNECK ATHLETICS
ANNUAL REPORT
2023-2024
academic success
departmental grade point
FALL SEMESTER SPRING SEMESTER
3.39 3.18
61% of student-athletes had an individual GPA of 3.0 or higher during the 2023-2024 academic year.
21 student-athletes earned a perfect 4.0 during the 2023-2024 academic year.
spring 2024 graduation honors
Summa Cum Laude (3.9+ GPA): Kennedy Bauer (Volleyball), Anna Deets (W. Basketball), Gabriela Galindo Rubio (W. Golf), Audrey Narine (W. Soccer), Kyle Wittenrich (Football)
Magna Cum Laude (3.75 to 3.89 GPA): Agatha Carbonell Garcia (W. Tennis), Aina Cortina-Pou (W. Tennis), Kennedy Flanagan (W. Basketball), Carla Flores (W. Basketball), Chase Graham (Football), Zwandi Harrison (W. Track & Field), Maddie Hasken (W. Soccer), Mallory McDermott (W. Basketball), Maria Rybka (W. Tennis), Malerie Rohweder (W. Soccer)
Cum Laude (3 60 to 3 74 GPA): Lorena Castellanos (W Tennis), Ludovick Choquette (Football), Riley Hansen (W Golf), Adam Juran (Baseball), Ben Nauman (Football), Isabel Navas Rodriguez (W Soccer)
Centennial Honors Scholars: Zwandi Harrison (W. Track & Field)
LEATHERNECK ATHLETICS
ANNUAL REPORT
2023-2024
2023-24 graduates
fall ‘23 commencement
Baseball
James Heavilin
Football
Clay Bruno
Drake Day
Jake Detiveaux
Tre Maronic
Matt Morrissey
Jay Parker
J.J. Ross
Women’s Golf
Natalie Hooper
Men’s Soccer
John Immesoete
spring ‘24 commencement
Baseball
Adam Juran
Kyle Rosenfeld
Max Slavens
Men’s Basketball
Drew Cisse
J.J. Kalakon
Braden Lamar
Jesiah West
Women’s Basketball
Anna Deets
Alissa Dins
Kennedy Flanagan
Carla Flores
Mallory McDermott
Football
Juan De La Cruz
Luke Galbreath
Dimitrios Gkountoudis
Chase Graham
Aidan Harrison
Nathan Lamb
Tyler Malakius
Tredan Maronic
Christiaan Masucci
Donald McKinney
Ben Nauman
Iosefa Pua'auli
Anthony Quinney
Kyle Wittenrich
Men’s Golf
David Ayala
Bennett Baker
Women’s Golf
Gabriela Galindo Rubio
Riley Hansen
Men’s Soccer
Sofian Maghouz
Cian McNamara
Kyle Owen
Caleb Ragland
Women’s Soccer
Sarah De Gannes
Maddie Hasken
Audrey Narine
Isabel Navas Rodriguez
Malerie Rohweder
Softball
Gabriela Drager
Emily Price
Women’s Tennis
Lorena Alves Castellanos
Agatha Carbonell Garcia
Aina Cortina-Pou
Maria Rybka
Men’s Track & Field/CC
Richard Brown
Jonathan Hunt
Women’s Track & Field/CC
Zwandi Harrison
Monique Remy
Jasmine Stokes
Volleyball
Kennedy Bauer
LEATHERNECK ATHLETICS ANNUAL REPORT
2023-2024
student-athlete development
women in leadership series
Events: 2
all-student-athlete speaker: will baggett
Western Illinois University Athletics welcomed guest speaker Will Baggett to campus in October to share insights on personal branding and social media. Baggett is an author, renowned expert in the field of personal branding, global keynote speaker, and a passionate advocate for college athletes.
vitalcog trainings
Western Illinois University Athletics was named one of four applicants nationwide to receive grant money from the NCAA Innovations in Research and Practice Grant Program to fund a project aimed at campus training in suicide prevention and awareness for student-athletes (VitalCog).
WIU and the three other awarded schools were chosen from 80 proposals, which was then narrowed to 15 finalists of which four projects were selected as grant awardees.
Fall 2023 Women Empowering Networking Night Spring 2024 Event with Marke Freeman
LEATHERNECK ATHLETICS
ANNUAL REPORT
2023-2024
student-athlete development
community service
2024 wespys
Leatherneck student-athletes completed more than 2,600 community service areas during the 2023-24 academic year. All 17 varsity teams participated community service events throughout the year.
Nathan Tillman (Men’s Golf) and Nadia Kessling (Women’s Track & Field) both earned 2023-24 OVC Community Service Awards for their contributions to the community.
On May 3, Western Illinois University Athletics hosted at its annual WESPY Awards
The WESPYs is a yearly tradition for Leatherneck Athletics, honoring the accomplishments of student-athletes both on and off the field of play. The event was sponsored by MTC Communications.
LEATHERNECK ATHLETICS
ANNUAL REPORT
2023-2024
facility enhancements
alfred d. boyer stadium
Backstop padding, pole flags, dugout padding
mary ellen mckee stadium
Windscreens, backstop padding, pole flags
New court
western hall
June 5, 2023
Leatherneck Club Classic Golf Outing Purple & Gold Gala
August 12, 2023
October 27, 2023
January 6, 2024
wIU Athletics Hall of Fame Basketball Socials Alumni Events
October 28, 2023
February 10, 2024
September 16, 2023
Men’s Soccer Alumni Reunion Football ‘90s Alumni Reunion
September 28, 2024 Football @ Northern Illinois University Football @ Indiana University
September 6, 2024
September 14, 2024
Football v. McKendree University
wiu homecoming
October 11-12, 2024
wIU Athletics Hall of Fame
October 18-19, 2024
To stay up-to-date on all Leatherneck Athletic events, visit goleathernecks.com/calendar.
LEATHERNECK ATHLETICS
ANNUAL REPORT
2023-2024
strategic plan progress
PILLAR 1 - DILIGENTLY SUPPORTING SCHOLAR-ATHLETE
Review and revise department academic policies and procedures by July 1, 2024
Create staff trainings for eligibility and recruitment during the Spring 2024 semester
Utilize data on the student-athlete experience from Real Response and Academic Progress reports to implement interventions to facilitate holistic student-athlete experience
In progress - Enhance the scholar-athlete recruitment and retention by aggressively pursuing name/image/likeness opportunities and working to solicit private funds to support Alston awards
Conduct a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Review
In progress - Review current Dining Hall and Fuel Zone utilization options for effectively meeting student-athlete nutritional needs on campus and during competition-related travel
PILLAR 2 - ATTAINING SUSTAINABLE SUCCESS
Position WIU programs to annually compete for conference championships and regional/national achievements in all sports; Result - 6/15 teams in OVC posted Top 5-finishes in the conference, 7 AllConference Student-Athletes, 4 OVC Awards for Student-Athletes, 1 NCAA All-American Honorable Mention
Determine current sources of revenue and identify additional revenue streams
In progress - Devise plan to increase development involvement (increase revenue, increase number of donors to annual fund, etc.)
PILLAR 3 - CONNECTING WITH CAMPUS
Each team will identify a faculty-staff appreciation game; Result - Athletics-wide events held during Football and Basketball games
During at least one competition per sport per season, student athletes with 3.0 GPAs will be recognized
Train at least 35% of our student-athletes via VitalCog or other mental health platform; Result - 89% of student-athletes were trained
Train at least one coach from each team via VitalCog or other mental health platform; Result - 33 Athletics staff were trained, including coaches from all teams
PILLAR 4 - ENGAGING OUR COMMUNITY
Grow Leatherneck Club membership and giving in 2023; Result - Leatherneck Club grew to 579 members raising $306,076
Host three K-12 events, including Women’s Basketball Elementary School Day, which set an attendance record (1,725)
PILLAR 5 - TELLING THE STORY
Review current program and identified areas of improvement for actively promoting competition schedules and scholar-athlete success stories (on and off the field) in institutional and Athletics’ communications
Coordinate semesterly press releases on academic achievement and community service
