Wayne State athletics held its annual year-end Ameritas Awards Banquet Monday evening at the Kanter Student Center celebrating athletic achievement in the 2025-26 school year.  Seven major awards were presented along with recognition of All-American, All-NSIC honors to go with academic awards and Most Valuable Player Awards for sports that have completed their seasons.
            This year's Male Athlete of the Year went to football player Dawson Forgy while the Female Athlete of the Year award was presented to sophomore volleyball player Chloe Hanel.  Freshmen athletes of the year were presented to Tyler Albert from baseball and volleyball standout Delaney Miller.  This year's Wildcat Inspiration Award was handed out to track and field's Anna Coffee while the Bob Cunningham Scholar Athletes of the Year were given to football player Alex Kowalczyk and women's golfer Saffire Sayre.
            Forgy, a 5-11, 200-pound redshirt junior from Winterset, Iowa, had one of the best seasons in school history by a Wildcat running back setting numerous single season school records.  He ran for 1,400 yards on 241 carries, averaging 5.8 yards per carry, to go with 19 rushing TD's and 21 total TD's.  Forgy tied a school record with seven 100-yard games, highlighted by 223 yards and two TD's at MSU Moorhead.  He also rushed for a school record five TD's during a November snowstorm and 181 yards in a 42-13 win at Sioux Falls.  He was All-NSIC First Team, D2CCA All-Super Region 3 First Team, Don Hansen Division II All-American honorable mention and D2Football.com Elite 100 Team.
            Hanel, a 6-0 sophomore middle hitter from Clarkson-Leigh HS, averaged 2.87 kills and 1.00 blocks per set this season for the Wildcat volleyball team helping WSC reach the NCAA Tournament while winning a third NSIC regular season title in the last four seasons.  She tied for the NSIC lead in solo blocks, was fifth in hitting percentage (.361) and seventh in blocks per set.  Hanel tied a single match record with 13 blocks vs. #10 St. Cloud State October 11^th.  She earned All-NSIC First Team honors, AVCA All-Central Region First Team and AVCA All-American Third Team this season.
            Albert, a 6-5, 180-pound freshman from Millard South HS, has had a standout freshman season on the mound for WSC, going 7-3 in 13 starts with a 6.61 ERA.  He has 73 strikeouts in 65.1 innings and ranked second in the NSIC in wins and strikeouts and is fourth in innings pitched.  In his collegiate debut he allowing just five hits and one run with seven strikeouts in a 3-1 win at Hawaii Hilo.  Albert had a season-high nine strikeouts in a complete-game 7-3 win at Minot State and fired a complete game win last Tuesday in a 5-3 victory at Northern State.
            Miller, a 5-10 outside hitter from Ankeny Centennial HS, had a sensational freshman season for the Wildcats averaging 3.83 kills per set to rank third in the NSIC.  She had 20 or more kills in six of her last 13 matches this year, highlighted by a season-high 25 with a .436 hitting percentage in a 3-1 NSIC Tournament first round win over Northern State November 18^th.  Miller had 24 kills vs. #11 St. Cloud State in the NSIC Tournament semi-finals and had 21 matches with 10 or more kills.  Post-season honors included All-NSIC First Team, NSIC Freshman of the Year, AVCA Central Region Freshman of the Year and All-Central Region First Team and AVCA All-American Third Team.
            Anna Coffee from women's track and field (Hinton, Iowa) was named the recipient of the Wildcat Inspiration Award.  She has overcome four knee surgeries over the last six years of her career and after missing all of the outdoor season last year she went through rehab and came back in this year's indoor season and placed fifth in the pentathlon at the NSIC Championships with an NCAA provisional mark of 3,478 points.  Coffee has earned six medals throughout her Wildcat career despite overcoming numerous knee surgeries.
            Football linebacker Alex Kowalczyk was named the Bob Cunningham Male Scholar Athlete of the Year with a 4.00 grade point average this year while obtaining a master's degree in business administration.  On the field, he received All-NSIC First Team honors with 80 tackles this year to rank fifth in the NSIC.  He was also tied for third in tackles for loss (9.5-27 yds) and three interceptions for 14 yards.  Kowalczyk was named NSIC Defensive Player of the Week in his final collegiate game after recording 16 tackles in a 38-31 win over #13 Augustana.  He is a three-time All-NSIC performer on the field and was a two-time Academic All-American earning Second Team honors this season.
            Women's golfer Saffire Sayre received the Bob Cunningham Female Scholar Athlete of the Year Award maintaining a 4.00 grade point average majoring in applied math and business administration.  Last week she was named winner of the NSIC Elite 18 Award at the Women's Golf Championships as the top scholar athlete.  On the course, she has a 79.67 stroke average this season and last week earned NSIC All-Tournament Team honors finishing in a tie for fifth overall while helping the Wildcats win their first-ever NSIC Women's Golf Championship and advancing to the NCAA Division II Women's Golf Championships for a second straight season.