PAINESVILLE, Ohio -- The Lake Erie College Athletic Department celebrated their 11th annual TIBBYS awards banquet on Monday, April 14th. 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.
Softball (3.63)
MEN'S HIGHEST TEAM GPA - Sponsored by The Schuller Family
Men's Cross Country (3.57)
MALE SCHOLAR ATHLETE OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by Lake Erie College National Alumni Board.
Ty Sowers - Baseball
FEMALE SCHOLAR ATHLETE OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by The Hoffman Family
Makenna Sanom - Women's Soccer
STORMBACKER OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by UH Drusinsky Sports Medicine Institute and Dr. Shana Miskovsky.
Steve Schuller
FACULTY MEMBER OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by Lake Erie College National Alumni Board.
Dr. Amy Markijohn
ATHLETIC STAFF MEMBER OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by The Schuller Family
Mitchell Farnsworth, Assistant Director of Athletics for Sports Operations
Mitchell joined the Lake Erie College staff in the summer of 2025 and quickly made a lasting, positive impact within the Department of Athletics. His exceptional organizational skills and clear, consistent communication have earned recognition at the conference level, drawing praise from officials and visiting teams alike. He combines a genuine passion for Storm athletics with an impressive knowledge of stats across all our teams. He is always ready to lend a helping hand, and goes above and beyond to support our student-athletes, coaches, and staff with a true team-first attitude.
COMMUNITY SERVICE TEAM OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by Dr.
Amanda Curtis
Women's Soccer
The women's soccer team consistently demonstrates a strong commitment to community service, taking great pride in giving back to both Lake Erie College and the surrounding area. So far this academic year, the team has generously donated nearly 400 hours of their time. Their efforts have included participating in Winter Wonderland and the community Trunk-or-Treat, volunteering with the Salvation Army, and tutoring middle school students. Congratulations to these remarkable student-athletes for their dedication, leadership, and positive impact both on and off the field.
COMEBACK STUDENT ATHLETE OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by UH Drusinsky Sports Medicine Institute and Dr. Shana Miskovsky.
Joey Ellison - Men's Lacrosse
After missing the 2024 season, Joey made a remarkable return in 2025, starting 13 of 14 games and immediately making an impact on the field. He led the team with 27 goals and 47 shots on goal, while also tying the team lead in total points with 30. Congratulations to Joey on an outstanding comeback season and contributions to the team.
MOST IMPROVED TEAM OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by Lake Erie College National Alumni Board.
Women's Soccer
Over the course of the 2025 season, the team made tremendous strides, more than tripling their win total from the previous year. They finished with an impressive 10-5-4 record and, for the first time since 2017, earned a spot in the G-MAC Tournament. The team's remarkable achievements were further highlighted as Coach Carl Contrascier was named G-MAC Coach of the Year, and the squad received the inaugural G-MAC Sportsmanship Award, recognizing both their skill and character on and off the field.
FEMALE NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by The Hoffman Family
Arielle Fink - Women's Soccer
Arielle had an outstanding season and made a strong impact for her team. She started 18 games and was a key contributor on offense, leading the team with five goals while finishing second in total points, with 13. Her consistency and endurance were evident as she logged 1,457 minutes on the field, showing her importance in nearly every match. Fink's ability to produce and perform under pressure quickly established her as one of the team's most valuable new players.
MALE NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by The Schuller Family
Amari Williams - Men's Basketball
Amari made an immediate impact in his debut season starting all 32 games for the Storm. He proved to be a consistent and reliable leader on the court. Williams led the team in scoring, averaging 14.5 points per game and totaling 464 points on the season, while also topping the team in free throws attempted with 126 and made with 81. He showcased his versatility by finishing tied for first in assists with 98, second in steals with 42, second in blocks with 13, and second in three-pointers made with 69. His impressive contributions earned him a spot on the G-MAC First Team.
PLAY OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by UH Drusinsky Sports Medicine Institute and Dr. Shana Miskovsky.
Naythan Zurowski - Rebound Goal
WIN OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by Dr.
Amanda Curtis
Men's Basketball - Comeback Win Over Ashland in G-MAC Semifinals
FEMALE STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by Lake Erie College National Alumni Board.
Shannon Smith - Women's Lacrosse
Shannon had a dominant year on the defensive end, delivering a record-breaking season that solidified her place among the best in the G-MAC. She earned First Team All-G-MAC honors and was named G-MAC Defensive Player of the Year. Shannon set both Lake Erie College and conference single-season records with 80 ground balls and an average of 4.71 ground balls per game, while also establishing a new single-game program record with 10. She leaves a lasting legacy at Lake Erie, holding the career record for ground balls with 186, and made her presence known across the conference by recording 38 caused turnovers last season—the fourth most in the G-MAC. Her career total of 97 caused turnovers set a new G-MAC record, surpassing the previous mark by an incredible 29.
MALE STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by The Schuller Family.
Nicolas Shankland
Nicolas earned First Team All-G-MAC honors and was recognized as a USILA All-Region Honorable Mention selection following an outstanding season. He ranked third in the conference with 27 caused turnovers and averaged an impressive 1.93 caused turnovers per game, showcasing his consistent impact and defensive dominance throughout the year.
INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by UH Drusinsky Sports Medicine Institute and Dr. Shana Miskovsky.
Brooke McNeal - Women's Lacrosse 9 goals, 7 ground balls, and 4 caused turnovers against Northwood.
HEAD COACH OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by Lake Erie College National Alumni Board.
Kyle Conley - Men's Basketball
Coach Conley guided the team to an outstanding 23–9 record, capping off one of the most successful seasons in program history. Under his leadership, the team earned G-MAC Regular Season Runner-Up honors, advanced to the G-MAC Tournament Championship game, and secured an NCAA Tournament berth for the first time since joining Division II—and the program's first appearance since the 2006–07 season.
TEAM OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by The Schuller Family.
The men's basketball team delivered a truly record-breaking season, finishing with an outstanding 23–9 record—the most wins in a single season since joining NCAA Division II. Throughout the year, they showcased an explosive offense, breaking the program's single-game scoring record twice. The first came in a 126-point victory over Mansfield, which also set a Gary Miller Classic tournament record and a program record for points in a half with 70 in the opening period. They surpassed that mark again with a dominant 132–70 win over Penn State Dubois. The team's success extended well beyond individual games, as they set new program records for total points in a season with 2,808 and points per game at an impressive 87.8 average. They also established new benchmarks in assists, assists per game, and steals, highlighting their unselfish play and defensive intensity. This remarkable season will stand as one of the most accomplished in program history.
STORM CUP
Women's Soccer
