PAINESVILLE, Ohio -- The Lake Erie College Athletic Department celebrated their 11th annual TIBBYS awards banquet on Monday, April 7th. The TIBBYS is an annual ceremony to celebrate the athletic and academic accomplishments of student-athletes from the previous season of competition.

The award categories include:

- Women's Highest Team GPA
- Men's Highest Team GPA
- Male Scholar Athlete
- Female Scholar Athlete
- Stormbacker of the Year
- Faculty Member of the Year
- Athletic Staff Member of the Year
- Community Service Team of the Year
- Comeback Student-Athlete of the Year
- Most Improved Team of the Year
- Female Newcomer of the Year
- Male Newcomer of the Year
- Play of the Year
- Win of the Year
- Female Student-Athlete of the Year
- Male Student-Athlete of the Year
- Individual Performance of the Year
- Head Coach of the Year
- Team of the Year
- Storm Cup


This year's TIBBYS award winners are:


WOMEN'S HIGHEST TEAM GPA - Sponsored by UH Drusinsky Sports Medicine Institute and Dr. Shana Miskovsky.
Women's Soccer (3.61)

MEN'S HIGHEST TEAM GPA - Sponsored by ABM Industries
Men's Cross Country (3.62)

MALE SCHOLAR ATHLETE OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by The Schuller Family
Israel Espinosa - Baseball

FEMALE SCHOLAR ATHLETE OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by Quinn and Reese Conley.
Lilee Carlson - Women's Basketball, Julia Laudato - Cross Country/Track & Field, Anna Lewis - Volleyball

STORMBACKER OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by UH Drusinsky Sports Medicine Institute and Dr. Shana Miskovsky.
Andrew Bearden

FACULTY MEMBER OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by Lake Erie College National Alumni Board.
Dr. Zane Johnson

ATHLETIC STAFF MEMBER OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by ABM Industries.
Alex Cranmer, Head Strength & Conditioning Coach

Alex has played a vital role this year for the Storm. His organization and passion have brought a renewed purpose and energy to the weight room. He has made a tremendous impact on the strength and physical capabilities of our teams all while giving them a positive experience and being every team's biggest fan. 

COMMUNITY SERVICE TEAM OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by Downtown Painesville Organization.
Women's Soccer

The women's soccer team completes community service regularly and takes great pride in service to the LEC and surrounding communities. So far this academic year, the team has donated over 300 hours of their time. They Participated in the winter wonderland and community Trunk or treat. They have also assisted with Share a Christmas and EQ therapy training.

COMEBACK STUDENT ATHLETE OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by UH Drusinsky Sports Medicine Institute and Dr. Shana Miskovsky.
Andrew Cramer - Men's Lacrosse

After an injury kept him from competing in his first year as part of the men's lacrosse team, Andrew had an impressive redshirt freshman season in the spring of 2024. He made 14 starts while appearing in 16 games. He finished second on the team with 31 goals while adding 12 assists for a total of 43 points. He capped off the year being named G-MAC Freshman of the Year.

MOST IMPROVED TEAM OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by The Schuller Family.
Men's Basketball

Over the course of the 2024-25 season, the team was able to more than double their win total from the previous season. They averaged 85 points per game, a 10 point per game increase from the previous year, and recorded the most wins in program history in the Division II era. They ended the year by returning to the G-MAC tournament. 

FEMALE NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by Archibald Winchester III.
Brooke McNeal - Women's Lacrosse

In her first year with the storm, Brooke started all 17 games. She finished second on the team in two offensive categories including 27 goals, and 29 total points.  She also set a new program record for draw controls in a season, with 84. Because of these efforts, she was named First Team All-G-MAC.

MALE NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by ABM Industries.
Luke Peperak - Men's Soccer

Luke appeared in and started 16 games for the Storm this fall. He finished the year with 9 goals, 2 assists, and 20 total points. He was named First Team All-G-MAC and All-Region twice by D2CCA and the United Soccer Coaches.

PLAY OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by The Hoffman Family
Football - Alec Lewis to Ali Lee Jr. to walk-off Post, 28-27

WIN OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by UH Drusinsky Sports Medicine Institute and Dr. Shana Miskovsky.
Harry Ross-Hughes - Track & Field - 2024-25 NCAA Indoor Track & Field 800m National Championship 

FEMALE STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by Quinn and Reese Conley
Richella Spielvogel - Track & Field

Richella had another fantastic year for the Storm. While breaking records during the outdoor season, she narrowly missed out on a trip to nationals, ranking 18th in the country. This indoor season however, she placed third at the G-MAC Indoor Championships in the women's weight throw and was named All-Region team and became a national qualifier. Her season finished by taking 10th place at the Division II Indoor Track & Field National Championships.

MALE STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by The Schuller Family.
Harry Ross-Hughes - Track & Field

During the 2024 outdoor season, Ross-Hughes continued to break records, setting the program and G-MAC record in the 800m. He finished the outdoor season as an All-American and National Runner-Up. During the 2024-25 indoor season Harry continued that success and was individually ranked as high as first in the country, became a national qualifier, and All-American. His season wrapped with him winning the men's NCAA DII 800m Indoor National Championship. The first non-field athlete in program history to do so.

INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by ABM Industries.
Jack Haskin - Wrestling - 3-1 record and national runner-up at the NCAA DII National Championships.

HEAD COACH OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by Lake Erie College National Alumni Board.
Kyle Conley - Men's Basketball

Coach Conley led the team to an impressive 19-10 record, and set a program mark for most wins in the NCAA DII era and leading the men's basketball team back to the G-MAC Tournament. During awards season two players would also be named Second Team All-G-MAC.

TEAM OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by UH Drusinsky Sports Medicine Institute and Dr. Shana Miskovsky.

The men's basketball team finished the season with a 19-10 record. This broke their previous NCAA DII era win record of 17 in a season, which was set in 2018-19. In five separate games the team put up more than 100 points, including the new school record of 122 points scored in the win over Bryant & Stratton. The team finished in fifth place in the conference, securing a spot in the G-MAC tournament. Finally, their season would be capped off with two players being named Second Team All-Conference
 

STORM CUP
Women's Soccer