The 2025 Ollie's Recap

A photo of student athletes at the Ollies directly after awards, greeting and congratulating each other. Photo taken by Logan Walton.

The 2025 Ollie’s, an award show for student-athletes at The University of Olivet, was held on Sunday, April 13 at the Cutler Student Center inside the community room. An event ran by our Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), allowed students to be represented for their outstanding performance as athletes.

Senior Nolan Finkbeiner is a member of SAAC. He says, “The Ollie’s are an amazing opportunity for all the student athletes to come together and celebrate all the hard work and success that they’ve demonstrated over the past year. It’s a great opportunity for everyone to acknowledge the special athletes we have here at Olivet.”

Each award had multiple student-athletes, teams, or staff members nominated by SAAC. The winners were chosen by a vote from the student body.

Here is a list of the award winners:

Male Athlete of the Year - Conner Schipper

Female Athlete of the Year – Lily Connelly

Male Rookie of the Year – Porter Kretschman

Female Rookie of the Year – Aubrey Connelly

Unbreakable Team – Men’s Wrestling

Male Leadership – Jonathan Holloway

Female Leadership – Madison Johnson

Coach of the Year – Brandon Brissette from Men’s Wrestling

Assistant Coach of the Year – Chad Loveless from Men’s Basketball

Win of the Year – Men’s Wrestling

Best Highlight – Lily Connelly

Moment of Truth – Owen Fremeau

Defeating the Odds Men’s – Men’s Basketball

Defeating the Odds Women’s – Women’s Volleyball

Comeback Player of the Year – Ben Kamali

Team Community Service – Men’s and Women’s Track and Field

Non-NCAA Athlete Award – Kaitlin Dyer

Band Member of the Year – Drue Allen

Staff Member of the Year – Savanna Sutton Head Athletic Trainer

Conner Schipper, Sophomore, said “I felt very appreciated by the Olivet Community. Meant a lot having the votes come from the students,” after winning Male Player of the Year.

Robert Davis, Senior, said that being part of the wrestling team, “Was so fun going to battle with my brothers and everyone had each other’s backs regardless of the outcome. Like stated, we were unbreakable, nothing could get in between our bond and the work we put in day in and day out."

Each player, team, or staff member that received an award was able to give a small speech to show their love and appreciation for their sport and organization.

Written by Logan Walton