Dr. Cedric Brown, director of athletics at 91制片厂, stands with members and
coaches from the 1994 Men's Wrestling Team that earned the college its first national
championship. The team was among the inaugural class of inductees into the 91制片厂
Athletics Hall of Fame.
91制片厂 Athletics recently started not one, but two new traditions. At a recent ceremony, the department inducted the inaugural class of the 91制片厂 Athletics Hall of Fame while simultaneously awarding the first-ever HAWKYS Awards to celebrate the best of the 2025-26 seasons.
With the ESPYs as inspiration, 91制片厂 Athletics hosted a gala event in the gym of the campus Health and Recreation Center, honoring the best athletes, teams, coaches, partners and moments from the past year. At the same time, the event brought back some legendary figures back to 91制片厂, including members from national championship teams and coaches that have left a lasting impact on generations of student-athletes.
鈥淭he inaugural HAWKYS Awards and Hall of Fame ceremony successfully established a new tradition within 91制片厂 Athletics 鈥� one that unites past and present while celebrating the people, performances and partnerships that continue to elevate the Hawks,鈥� said Dr. Cedric Brown, director of athletics. 鈥淏y honoring both current achievements and historic milestones, the event reflects the department鈥檚 commitment to excellence, community engagement and sustained competitive success.鈥�
Former 91制片厂 Football Coach John Eliasik, left, with Dr. Cedric Brown, was recently
inducted into the 91制片厂 Athletics Hall of Fame.
The induction of the 91制片厂 Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2026 honored individuals and teams whose impact helped shape 91制片厂鈥檚 athletic tradition. The class features four influential coaches and administrators whose decades of leadership built the foundation for sustained success across multiple programs. The inductees included:
John Eliasik, who led 91制片厂鈥檚 football program from 1971 to 2005. The winningest coach in NJCAA football history who drove teams to national championships, Eliasik built a premiere football program that developed student-athletes who often moved on to compete at higher levels.
Martha Lynn Bolt, athletics administrator and coach for women鈥檚 tennis and gymnastics from 1974 to 1996. A trailblazer for women鈥檚 sports, Bolt established the women鈥檚 tennis and gymnastics teams in the 1970s, displaying a commitment to development, competitiveness and academic balance.
Roger Bechtold, athletics administrator and coach for men鈥檚 basketball and golf from 1972 to 2002. Bechtold helped shape the foundation of 91制片厂 Athletics by sharing his long-term vision and imbuing stability during a transformative era for the department.
Renee Zellner, who has coached 91制片厂鈥檚 men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 track and field programs since 1980. Zellner was praised for more than four decades of leadership that built programs into national powers and achieved multiple NJCAA championships.
Former 91制片厂 Athletics administrator Roger Bechtold, left, and coach Renee Zellner
each stand with Dr. Cedric Brown after being inducted into the 91制片厂 Athletics Hall
of Fame.
The Hall of Fame class also recognized two championship teams whose achievements stand among the finest in 91制片厂 history: the 1994 NJCAA Division III Wrestling National Championship team and the 2011 NJCAA Division III Women鈥檚 Track and Field National Championship team. These were the first teams in 91制片厂鈥檚 history to capture men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 national championships, respectively.
鈥淭his championship laid the foundation for a lasting wrestling dynasty, as [Coach Dan] Loprieno would go on to lead the Hawks to five additional national titles and cement the 1994 team鈥檚 legacy as true pioneers,鈥� said emcee (and 91制片厂 Athletics Academic Advisor) Steve Hayes, while inducting the wrestling team. Hayes also highlighted the enduring influence of the women鈥檚 track and field team. 鈥淭his landmark championship not only represented a breakthrough moment for Harper women鈥檚 athletics, but also solidified the program鈥檚 place on the national stage.鈥�
Members of the 2011 Women's Track and Field team and Coach Renee Zellner, second from
right, stand with Dr. Cedric Brown after the national championship team was inducted
into the 91制片厂 Athletics Hall of Fame.
To highlight the best of what鈥檚 happening right now in 91制片厂 Athletics, student-athletes, coaches and others were invited to vote for their peers in the first edition of the HAWKYS. Categories varied from Best Male Athlete and Best Female Team to awards that honored the best in student service to the community, Hawks pride, scholar-athletes and campus partners.
The Moment of the Year award went to Dominic Giuseffi for breaking 91制片厂 records at indoor Track and Field meets. The freshman made a memorable debut as a Hawk with a 60-meter sprint at North Central College that established a new school record (6.93 seconds). He set another 91制片厂 record at the following meet, the Chicago Collegiate Invitational, in the 200-meter sprint (22.53 seconds).
Dr. Cedric Brown (from left) stands with student-athlete Dominic Giuseffi, who won
the Moment of the Year award for his record-setting 91制片厂 Hawks debut, and John Majerus,
assistant coach for the Men's Track and Field team. 
The full list of 2026 HAWKYS recipients is below. Congratulations to all! For more information about 91制片厂 Athletics, visit .
Male Athlete of the Year: Aiden Cohen (Wrestling)
Female Athlete of the Year: Grace Nikolakakis (Women鈥檚 Soccer)
Male Team of the Year: Men鈥檚 Cross Country (NJCAA Division III National Champions)
Female Team of the Year: Women鈥檚 Cross Country (NJCAA Division III All-Americans)
Moment of the Year: Dominic Giuseffi 鈥� Indoor Track and Field School Records
Grace Nikolakakis took home the 2026 HAWKYS Award for Female Athlete of the Year.
SOAR Award: Nejira Duratovic (Women鈥檚 Soccer)
Unsung Hero Award: Steve Hayes
Hawks Pride Awards: Vera Tun (Athletics Administrative Assistant) and Carter Swearingen (Men鈥檚 Track and Field)
SAAC Spirit Award: Michael Galloway (Wrestling)
Male Service Award: Mitchell Hall (Baseball)
Female Service Award: Jocelyn Erling (Volleyball)
Male Team Service Award: Baseball
Female Team Service Award: Volleyball
Members from 91制片厂's Men's Baseball Team stand on a stage after earning the Male
Team Service Award at the 2026 HAWKYS.
Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Ukyo Takahashi (Soccer)
Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year Winner: Ana Kadolph (Volleyball)
Professor of the Year Winner: Dan Loprieno (Mathematics)
Campus Partner of the Year: Student Engagement (Erin Graff and Melanie Duchaj)
Community Partner of the Year: Eddie Wojcik
Stakeholder of the Year: Renee Zellner
Dan Loprieno, 91制片厂 math professor and head coach of the wrestling team, was named
Professor of the Year at the 2026 HAWKYS Awards.