Isaiah Martinez named Male Athlete of the Year for Illinois

Martinez, Birks Named Dike Eddleman Athletes of the Year; National champion wrestler and All-America volleyball player selected as Illinois’ best in 2015-16


Champaign, ILL.–The University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics (DIA) announced Thursday that wrestling's Isaiah Martinez (Lemoore, Calif.) and volleyball’s Jocelynn Birks (Willow Springs, Ill.) are recipients of the 2015-16 Dike Eddleman Awards, which are presented annually to the top Fighting Illini male and female athlete. The recipients were selected by vote of Illinois head coaches and the DIA athletics awards committee.


Martinez continued his domination at 157 pounds during the 2015-16 season, repeating as NCAA and Big Ten champion one year after claiming both titles as a freshman. He compiled an overall record of 32-1 as a sophomore, including 10-1 against ranked opponents. Martinez was named Outstanding Wrestler of the Big Ten Championships after winning the 157 crown, and led the entire nation in wins by technical fall with 14. Just the fourth Illini wrestler to win back-to-back NCAA titles, Martinez will next represent team USA at the University World Championships in Turkey in October, competing at 74kg.


Martinez becomes the eighth wrestler to win this award, joining Jon Llewelyn (1991), Steve Marianetti (1995), Ernest Benion (1997), Eric Siebert (1998), Adam Tirapelle (2001), Matt Lackey (2003) and Jesse Delgado (2014).


Birks finished her brilliant UI career as the program's all-time leader in kills with 1,972. She earned All-America honors for the third straight season, garnering honorable mention accolades as a senior while leading the Illini to a third-straight NCAA Sweet 16 appearance. A first-team All-Big Ten and All-Region selection, Birks led the Illini and ranked third in the conference in kills per set (3.95), led by a season-high 26 kills on .426 hitting in an NCAA Tournament second-round victory over Louisville.


As Fighting Illini Athletes of the Year, Martinez and Birks become Illinois' nominees for Big Ten Athlete of the Year honors, which will be announced next week.


The Eddleman Awards are the final major individual honors announced by the DIA this year. Charlie Danielson (golf) and Allie Bauch (softball) were recipients of the Big Ten Medal of Honor and Joe Spencer (football) and Taylore Peterson (soccer) took home the Spirit Awards at the All-Sports Celebration in April. Alex Diab (gymnastics) and Jordyn Poulter (volleyball) won Newcomer of the Year, announced Wednesday. The 2015-16 Team and Coach of the Year awards will be revealed on Friday.

The Dike Eddleman Award


The University of Illinois Athlete of the Year was first awarded in 1940. The award was given annually until it was discontinued in 1973. Since 1983, the University of Illinois has recognized both a Male and Female Athlete of the Year. In 1993, the awards were named in honor of the 11-time UI letterman and former Olympian Dwight "Dike" Eddleman.


Martinez and Birks join the list of all-time Fighting Illini greats who have been bestowed the Eddleman Award, including names like Dike Eddleman himself (football, basketball and track, 1948 & '49), Dick Butkus (football, 1964 & '65), Nancy Thies (gymnastics, 1977), Craig Virgin (track and cross country, 1977), Tony Eason (football, 1982 & '83), Mary Eggers(volleyball, 1987-89), Kendall Gill (basketball, 1990), Renee Slone (Heiken) (golf, 1991 & '92),Tonya Williams (track, 1995-96), Ashley Berggren (basketball, 1997 & '98), Perdita Felicien (track, 2001-03), Justin Spring (gymnastics, 2004 & '06), Deron Williams (basketball, 2005), Kevin Anderson (tennis, 2007), Angela Bizzarri (track and cross country, 2008-10), Paul Ruggeri (gymnastics, 2009), Scott Langley (golf, 2010), Andrew Riley (track, 2011 & '12), Janelle Flaws (soccer, 2014), Jesse Delgado (wresting, 2014) and last year's winners, Tyler Jay (baseball) and Stephanie Richartz (track & field).

ILLINOIS MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

1940 William J. Hapac MBK/BSB

1941 John Drish MBK/BSB

1942 Andy Phillip MBK/BSB

1943 Andy Phillip MBK/BSB

1944 Buddy Young FB/MTR

1945 Walton "Junior" Kirk MBK

1946 Herbert McKenley MTR

1947 Alex Agase FB/WRS

1948 Dike Eddleman FB/MBK/MTR

1949 Dike Eddleman FB/MBK/MTR

1950 Russell Steger FB/BSB

1951 Don Sunderlage MBK

1952 Charles Boerio FB

1953 Clive Follmer MBK/BSB

1954 J.C. Caroline FB

1955 Paul Judson MBK

1956 Em Lindbeck FB/BSB

1957 Abe Woodson FB/MTR

1958 Bob Mitchell FB/MTR

1959 Abe Grossfeld MGYM

1960 Bill Burrell FB

1961 Bill Brown FB/MTR

1962 Doug Mills FB/MBK/BSB

1963 Harold Holmes MGYM

1964 Dick Butkus FB

1965 Dick Butkus FB

1966 Jim Grabowski FB

1967 Jim Dawson MBK

1968 Dave Scholz MBK

1969 Dave Scholz MBK

1970 Mike Price MBK

1971 Lee LaBadie MTR/XC

1972 Rick Gross MTR/XC

1973-76 (Award not given)

1977 Craig Virgin MTR/XC

1978-81 (Award not given)

1982 Tony Eason FB

1983 Tony Eason FB

1984 Don Thorp FB

1985 Charles Lakes MGYM

1986 David Williams FB

1987 Darrin Fletcher BSB

1988 Tim Simon MTR

1989 David Zeddies MGYM

1990 Kendall Gill MBK
1991 Jon Llewellyn WRS

1992 Tim Simpson FB

1992 Len Sitko MTR/XC

1993 Marko Koers MTR

1994 Anthony Jones MTR

1995 Dana Howard FB
1995 Steve Marianetti WRS

1996 Kevin Hardy FB
1997 Ernest Benion WRS

1998 Eric Siebert WRS

1999 Oliver Freelove MTN

2000 Jason Anderson BSB
2001 Adam Tirapelle WRS

2002 Kurt Kittner FB

2003 Amer Delic MTN
2003 Matt Lackey WRS

2004 Justin Spring MGYM

2005 Deron Williams MBKB

2006 Justin Spring MGYM

2007 Kevin Anderson MTN

2008 J Leman FB

2009 Paul Ruggeri MGYM

2010 Scott Langley MGLF

2011 Andrew Riley MTR

2012 Andrew Riley MTR

2013 Justin Parr BSB
2014 Jesse Delgado WRS

2015 Tyler Jay BSB
2016 Isaiah Martinez WRS