Highlights from the 2015-16 Season - Newsworthy Headlines

Recap from the 2015-16 year

In recent years, Western Illinois Athletics has recapped the highlights of the sports season with a Top 15 in '15 or Top 14 in '14. While compiling a list for the 2015-16 season, it was difficult to limit to just 16 items. So that's why the list for this year will be revealed a little differently.

Over the next few weeks, Leatherneck Athletics will recap the main highlights from five different categories: Academics, Athletic Season Accomplishments, Record Setting Performances, Newsworthy Announcements, and Single Game Heroics.

In the Single Game Heroics category, WIU Athletics will give fans the opportunity to vote via social media on their favorite memory from the 2015-16 season in a bracket-style format. More information on the bracket voting will be announced in the near future.

As always, Go Leathernecks!

Newsworthy Headlines
-- On January 11, 2016, Matt Tanney was officially introduced as the seventh full-time Athletic Director in the last 90 years. He served as the Interim AD since May 2015 before taking on the role permanently.

-- One week prior to Matt Tanney's announcement, Western Illinois Athletics introduced Charlie Fisher as the program's new head football coach. Fisher joined Western after working the previous two years at Richmond. He helped the Spiders to consecutive NCAA FCS playoff appearances, including a run to the semifinals last fall.

-- Following it's upset win at #17 Wisconsin, and then recording a home victory two days later, the men's basketball team received four votes in the Associated Press 'Top 25' poll.

-- Men's Basketball made a splash nationally following its win at Wisconsin, trending nationally on Twitter. All the major media outlets and national writers sent Tweets on the Leathernecks' upset win.

-- Leatherneck Athletics posted a video on its Facebook account of the final seconds during the men's basketball upset win at Wisconsin, gaining a record 53,000 views. Just days later, the department broke that viewing record when a reaction video of the football team finding out they qualified for the FCS Playoffs was viewed 159,000 times.

-- Western Illinois Athletics teamed with the Department of Broadcasting for the first full year of airing games live on ESPN3. The new partnership covered live football, volleyball, basketball, and baseball games shown worldwide via the ESPN online portal.

-- Drew Whalen was named the Summit League 'Male Athlete of the Month' in October. He would go on to be named the 'Offensive Player of the Year'.

-- Andrew Blackburn also earned October honors from The Summit League when he was named the 'Golfer of the Month'.

-- Finding out he was going to make his first collegiate start a day before the Missouri Valley Football Conference game at Indiana State, quarterback Sean McGuire responded with a 29-of-44 passing performance for 332 yards and a touchdown in the 37-30 overtime win. McGuire also rushed for 28 yards and a touchdown. He was named the National Freshman of the Week by STATS.

-- Lance Lenoir enjoyed a season-opening performance to remember. The wide receiver recorded a career-high 280 all-purpose yards in the 33-5 win over Eastern Illinois. Lenoir was named the STATS National Special Teams Player of the Week.

-- Western's 37-36 last second win over Southern Illinois in Homecoming 2015 showcased several outstanding performances. Linebacker Brett Taylor returned a fumble for a touchdown, and he was one of six players nationally selected as a National All-Star by College Sporting News. Taylor was an Honorable Mention selection for National Defensive Player of the Week by STATS. Nathan Knuffman, who kicked the game-winning field goal, was also one of the six players chosen as the National All-Star that week. Nikko Watson was one of five top performers nationally chosen by the College Football Performance Awards.

-- For the first time in five years, Leatherneck Football received a 'Top 25' national ranking in-season. Western spent two weeks in October ranked, then finished the year ranked 22nd nationally in both major polls.

-- The Western Hall seating project began in late May following graduation ceremony from Macomb High School. The old seats, installed 35 years ago, and entire seating sections on the north and south lower levels were removed and currently the new seating framework is getting installed. The project is due to be completed by early August.

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