On Wednesday, the Ohio Valley Conference announced the recipients of the 2023-24 OVC Community Service Awards.
The awards, first bestowed in 2022-23, are based on activities during the 2023-24 academic year and recognize outstanding student-athletes for the contributions they made away from the playing surface, both on campus and in the community.
A pair of Western Illinois University student-athletes were nominated and honored as golfer Nathan Tillman and track and field athlete Nadia Kessling were the Leatherneck representatives.
“I am proud of the commitment our student-athletes make for community service, as this is one of our core values and something I feel very strongly about as a means of giving back to the community,” said Western Illinois Director of Athletics, Paul A. Bubb. “Nadia and Nathan exemplify how Leathernecks are active in our community.”
Kessling, an essential member of the Western Illinois Track and Field team during competition and off the track, totaled a school-high 284 hours of community service for Western Illinois. A familiar face around town, Kessling, helped out in every area of the Macomb and surrounding communities. She volunteered at the Humane Society, served dinner at the local American Legion, and assisted in Macomb’s Special Olympics event. Outside of the community, she provided a helpful hand in assisting in the yearly Girls on the Run event held in Springfield, Illinois, and the Polar Plunge event in Henry. Her most significant attribute was how she gave back to Western Illinois, volunteering for shifts on the student hotline at Western Illinois University and helping out in the school food pantry efforts. Kessling’s impact on Western Illinois University and its community has already earned her the WIU community service award.
Tillman made a significant impact at The Crossing, a local church in Macomb. His commitment to service is evident in the hours he volunteered this year. Nathan not only found himself in a leadership role but also showcased his musical abilities as the lead acoustic guitar player for the church’s services. His dedication is further demonstrated by his ‘first to arrive, last to leave’ mindset, as he assists in all the setup and tear down before and after each service.
OVC member institutions who competed in the League during the 2023-24 academic year selected a maximum of one male and one female student-athlete from their institution to be honored. In total 20 individuals were bestowed the awards this year.
“The OVC has always been about a sense of community,” said OVC Commissioner Beth DeBauche. “We are delighted to continue to bestow these awards to these outstanding student-athletes who are giving back to their communities.”
The 2023-24 Ohio Valley Conference recipients are:
• Joel Allen (track and field), Little Rock
• Brooklyn Bender (cross country), Southeast Missouri
• Justin Biggs (track and field), Tennessee State
• Addy Blackwell (basketball), Southern Indiana
• Daniel Egbuniwe (basketball), Tennessee Tech
• Elizabeth Galvin (soccer), Eastern Illinois
• M.E. Hargan, Morehead State
• Nadia Kessling (track and field), Western Illinois
• River Lakey (football), Lindenwood
• Sofie Lowis (basketball), SIUE
• Natalie Marques (equestrian), UT Martin
• Alondrah Santana-Rodriguez (volleyball), Tennessee State
• Reagan Smiley (soccer), Tennessee Tech
• Abbie Smith (soccer), Little Rock
• Chad Smith (soccer), Eastern Illinois
• Lily Sutter (soccer), Lindenwood
• Dony’e Taylor (football), Southeast Missouri
• Nathan Tillman (golf), Western Illinois
• Ricardo Van Grieken (baseball), Southern Indiana
• Bryce Ward, Morehead State
***Courtesy of Western Illinois University***
