The Lindenwood Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) celebrated its annual ROARS ceremony in a unique way.  The yearly awards ceremony was spread across five days last week, honoring the successes of Lindenwood Athletics.
 
TEAM OF THE YEAR  |  ATHLETE OF THE YEAR - FEMALE  |  ATHLETE OF THE YEAR - MALE

On the final day of ROARS Week, the Lindenwood football team was recognized as the Team of the Year.  The Lions posted one of the best seasons in school history, earning its first GLVC Championship in 2019.  Lindenwood garnered GLVC Offensive Player of the Year, GLVC Defensive Player of the Year, and GLVC Coach of the Year honors.  With a record of 9-4, the Lions earned their first NCAA Division II Playoff appearance.  Lindenwood took down three nationally-ranked teams, and totaled 15 all-GLVC performers this past season.
 
Taking home the top individual award of Athlete of the Year were Kallie Bildner (Female) of women's basketball, and Drew Seers (Male) of football.  The two were outstanding in their respective fields of play, setting records and leading their teams to great success.
 
Bildner was a unanimous first-team GLVC performer, while also being named a CoSIDA first-team academic All-American.  The Waynesville, Mo. native set a new scoring record for the Lions, dropping 1,914 points in her career, while setting the single-season mark with 572 points.  Bildner averaged 22.0 points per game to help lead the Lions to their third-straight NCAA National Championship Tournament appearance.
 
Seers was named a first-team All-American across three different platforms (Associated Press, AFCA, D2CCA), while earning GLVC Defensive Player of the Year.  The St. Louis, Mo. native set a new school record with 17.0 tackles for loss along with 99 assisted tackles.  Seers ranked second in the country with 13.5 tackles per game, leading the Lions to a GLVC Championship in 2019.
 
IRON LION - FEMALE  |  IRON LION - MALE  |  NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR - FEMALE  |  NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR - MALE

McKenna Montgomery (Female) of women's basketball and Eric Hipp (Male) of baseball took home the Iron Lion Award this year.  The Iron Lion Award is earned by the student-athlete who exemplifies strength of character and courage in leadership as it related to their team's physical preparation in the weight room.  The Newcomer of the Year Award was given to Beata Maruszczyk (Female) and Peter Covington (Male).
 
Maruszczyk of swimming and diving was named 2020 GLVC Freshman of the Year and set three individual school records in her first year with the Lions.  Covington was off to a hot start before the lacrosse season was cut short.  Covington was honored on the USILA Division II Team of the Week in each of the first two weeks of the year.
 
SUPPORTING ROLE - FEMALE  |  SUPPORTING ROLE - MALE  |  LION PRIDE - FEMALE  |  LION PRIDE - MALE

Megan Foster (Female) of women's basketball, and Michael Jennings (Male) of men's volleyball were recognized as Best in a Supporting Role for their dedication to team success.  The Lion Pride Award winners were Breanna Franklin (Female) of gymnastics, and Andrew Hasz (Male) of men's lacrosse.
 
SHOWSTOPPER OF THE YEAR  |  COACHING STAFF OF THE YEAR  |  SUPPORT STAFF OF THE YEAR

The Showstopper Moment of the Year went to the football team for the comeback victory over Truman State on homecoming.  The Lions trailed 17-7 heading into the final quarter, as Erik Henneman scored with less than two minutes to play.  Lindenwood completed a successful onside kick to regain possession, and Henneman scored for the third time in the game to complete the wild comeback.
 
The football coaching staff was recognized as Lindenwood's Coaching Staff of the Year, after leading the Lions to a perfect 7-0 record in conference play.  The Lions earned their first appearance in the NCAA Division II Playoffs, and upset No. 5 Ouachita Baptist in the opening round.  Lindenwood set multiple school records, and captured the 2019 GLVC Championship in its first season in the league.
 
Maddie Bohr of athletic performance was named Support Staff of the Year for her exceptional commitment to developing student-athletes athletically, academically, and/or professionally.  The softball team was recognized with the Wishmaker Award, granted to the team who raised the most money for Make-A-Wish per student-athlete during the 2019-20 school year.  The Lions raised $939.96 as a team, while all athletics programs compiled a grand total of $4,188.63 for the year.
 
Lindenwood honored two student-athletes who have made significant contributions during their time at Lindenwood both athletically and academically.  Kirsten Martin of women's hockey, and Nick Stevenson of men's volleyball were both recognized as Scholar Athletes of the Year.
 
The Academic Persistence Award is presented to an outstanding student-athlete who has improved their academic standing through their use of resources, continuous determination and effort, and commitment to academics.  Sadie Kosciuk of women's volleyball and Alex Pappas of men's volleyball each earned the Academic Persistence Award for this school year.
 
Dr. Rebecca Foushee from the school of sciences was honored with the Excellence in Teaching Award, which is presented to a professor who goes above and beyond their obligations in the classroom to help their students excel.