MACOMB, IL. — Thirty Western Illinois University student-athletes earned Ohio Valley Conference Academic Medals of Honor for the 2025-26 academic year.

The OVC recognized a record 368 student-athletes with the Academic Medal of Honor, surpassing the previous record of 356 recipients set during the 2020-21 academic year.

The OVC Academic Medal of Honor is presented annually to student-athletes who achieve the highest grade point average in a Conference-sponsored sport. Every recipient for the 2025-26 academic year earned a perfect 4.0 grade point average.

Western's honorees represented nine sports, with women's track and field leading the Leathernecks with seven selections. Softball and women's soccer each had seven and six selections, respectively, while women's cross country had four. Volleyball and women's tennis had three selections each, while women's basketball had three and men's basketball and men's soccer each had one.

Four Leatherneck student-athletes — Caley Murphy, Lilly Patterson, Hannah Steinmeyer and Emma-Kate Watt — earned Academic Medals of Honor in both women's cross country and track and field.

Western Illinois OVC Academic Medal of Honor Recipients

Men's Basketball

• Nick Hittle

Women's Basketball

• Addison Brownfield

• Maria Messling

• Kaylen Reed

Women's Cross Country

• Caley Murphy

• Lilly Patterson

• Hannah Steinmeyer

• Emma-Kate Watt

Men's Soccer

• Guillaume Brunet

Women's Soccer

• Clare Carmean

• Rayhana Daoudi

• Ana Gularte

• Callie McMurtre

• Abigail Schilling

• Simone Thorst

Softball

• Payton Brown

• Kathryn McChristy

• Elizabeth Pavy

• Ruby Tarr

• Kam Utendorf

• Kaelyn Walters

• Alijah Williams

Women's Tennis

• Mana Fawcett

• Richardlyne Francois

• Chloe Routier

Women's Track and Field

• Kelly Fern

• Caley Murphy

• Lilly Patterson

• Emma Ponx

• Hannah Steinmeyer

• Emma-Kate Watt

• Karlee Zumstein

Volleyball

• Jaleah Bauss

• Melaina Hawblitzel

• Audrey Pender

Over the past five years, more than 1,600 student-athletes have earned the OVC Academic Medal of Honor.

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