Utt, Rule Named as HAAC Nominees for National Awards

William Penn Athletics

William Penn Athletics

Oskaloosa–Two members of Statesmen Nation will be up for national consideration this fall after earning nominations from the Heart of America Athletic Conference.

Junior men’s basketball player Jesse Utt (Cowgill, Mo., Industrial Technology) received the HAAC’s honor for the male Emil Liston Award, while women’s golf coach Nik Rule was named the league’s recipient of the Coach of Character Award. The awards are part of the NAIA’s yearly recognition; the national winners will be announced in September.

Utt played in 17 games as a sophomore, scoring 45 points with 36 rebounds (shot 51.6% from the field). He is already a two-time academic all-conference selection.

The Liston Award is named in honor of the NAIA’s first executive secretary and has been presented annually since 1950 to one junior men’s and women’s basketball player who has shown high athletic and scholastic achievement.

Rule has paced the Statesmen linksters to two consecutive conference crowns and two berths to the NAIA National Championships (placed 15th and 12th). The two-time league Coach of the Year has guided his group to great success off the course as well as WPU has claimed two Buffalo Funds Champions of Character Awards.

The Coach of Character Award is given to a head coach of an NAIA institution who has been outstanding in embracing the five core values of the NAIA Champions of Character initiative, using methods of teaching character through sport, and in community leadership through volunteering or service.

It is the fourth time a member of William Penn’s staff has earned the conference or regional Coach of Character Award. Rule also received the Dr. LeRoy Walker Champions of Character Award as a player back in 2008.

Posted by on Jul 30 2015. Filed under College Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

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