WESPYS 2018: A Night To Remember

The 2018 WESPYs took place on April 29th

MACOMB, Ill.- A sense of pride took over Western Hall on the night of April 29th as student-athletes received awards, teams were recognized for outstanding performances and community service efforts, and new inductees were introduced into the national college athlete honor society: Chi Alpha Sigma.

The 2018 WESPYs showed off the Leathernecks' 'Tradition of Tough' while over 400 student-athletes celebrated the 2017-18 year in Leatherneck Athletics.

Brett Taylor was honored as the male 'Male Student-Athlete of the Year' at the event. Taylor left his mark as one of the most decorated football players in Western Illinois history. The linebacker finished the 2018 season as the runner-up for the STATS FCS Buck Buchanan Award, becoming just the third Leatherneck to be named a two-time finalist for the award. He was the FCS' leader in tackles, stops per game and assisted tackles during his senior campaign, and was honored as the Missouri Valley Football Conference Defensive Player of the Year. A two-time STATS FCS All-American, CoSIDA All-American and three-time All-MVFC and Academic All-MVFC honoree, Taylor finished his Western Illinois career with 469 tackles and 266 solo stops, which are each the third-most in school history. His 203 career assisted tackles rank fourth in program history.

Emily Clemens earned the 'Female Student-Athlete of the Year' award for her efforts to the women's basketball program. Emily Clemens' name will be etched in the Summit League and Western Illinois records books for years to come. She is a league champion, all-league honoree and the Leathernecks' all-time leading scorer.
During the 2017-18 season, it seemed that Clemens received a new award every week. She crowned her senior campaign with one of the most prestigious when she was selected as one of five women's basketball players in the nation as a Senior CLASS Award First Team All-American.

En route to becoming the Leathernecks' all-time leading scorer, she broke Summit League records in career assists and free throws made, while also becoming Western's first to surpass 1,000 points, 500 assists, and 200 steals. Clemens is a two-time first team all-league and academic all-league selection. She concluded her career with 1,699 points.
Showing off their academic prowess, 71 student-athletes boasted a 3.4 GPA or higher and were inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma on Sunday evening. Women's tennis garnered the Team GPA award by achieving a 3.31 GPA during the fall 2017 semester.

The Leathernecks made their mark on the community this academic year, combining for 1,783 community service hours while raising almost $8,400. The softball team took home the 'Community Service Award' after totaling 606 community service hours and $5,248.

The complete list of winners:

Student-Athlete of the Year
Male: Brett Taylor, Football
Female: Emily Clemens, Basketball

Rookie of the Year
Male: Kobe Webster, Basketball
Female: Jaime Johnson, Volleyball

Unsung Hero
Male: Ben Fiddes, Soccer
Female: Michelle Farrow, Basketball

Courage Award
Male: Jeremiah Usiosefe, Basketball
Female: Devan Jones and Bridget Schuler, Soccer

Leatherneck Award
Male: Samir Almhiemid, Swimming
Female: Kelsey Marlow, Softball

Cheerleader of the Year
Grace Schafer

Highlight of the Year
Male: Jackson Wetherbee sank a hole-in-one at Oral Roberts
Female: Erica Hagan placed first in the House of Champions and was the first Leatherneck to medal at the Summit League Championship since 2010

Team Performance of the Year
Male: Football's come-from-behind win over UNI in final seconds
Female: Women's basketball win over No. 18 Stanford

Brother-Sister Team Award
Swimming and Women's Golf

Highest GPA Award
Male: Cross Country (3.19)
Female: Golf (3.68)

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

#44 Brett Taylor: LB; 6' 2"; Senior; Macomb

#11 Ben Fiddes: M; 6' 0"; Senior; Peoria Notre Dame

#20 Devan Jones: M/D; 5' 4"; Senior; Hazelwood Central

Jackson Wetherbee: Junior; Galesburg

#10 Kelsey Marlow: IF; 5' 8"; Senior; R/R

#32 Jeremiah Usiosefe: G; 6' 5"; Sophomore; The Hill Academy

#10 Kobe Webster: G; 6' 0"; Freshman; Park Tudor

#2 Emily Clemens: G; 5' 4"; Senior; Muscatine

#22 Michelle Farrow: G; 5' 10"; Senior; Waukesha West

Samir Almhiemid: Fly/Back; Junior; Chelsea

#11 Bridget Schuler: M/F; 5' 6"; Sophomore; Peoria Notre Dame

#5 Jaime Johnson: S; 5' 8"; Senior; Centennial

Players Mentioned

#44 Brett Taylor
: 6' 2"; Senior; Macomb
: LB

#11 Ben Fiddes
: 6' 0"; Senior; Peoria Notre Dame
: M

#20 Devan Jones
: 5' 4"; Senior; Hazelwood Central
: M/D

Jackson Wetherbee
: Junior; Galesburg

#10 Kelsey Marlow
: 5' 8"; Senior; R/R
: IF

#32 Jeremiah Usiosefe
: 6' 5"; Sophomore; The Hill Academy
: G

#10 Kobe Webster
: 6' 0"; Freshman; Park Tudor
: G

#2 Emily Clemens
: 5' 4"; Senior; Muscatine
: G

#22 Michelle Farrow
: 5' 10"; Senior; Waukesha West
: G

Samir Almhiemid
: Junior; Chelsea
: Fly/Back

#11 Bridget Schuler
: 5' 6"; Sophomore; Peoria Notre Dame
: M/F

#5 Jaime Johnson
: 5' 8"; Senior; Centennial
: S