April Harpe accepts her THRESHPY Award for spirit from presenter Brandon Burrell. Photo by Audra Miller.While Bethel has been giving out Thresher Awards for academic achievement for well over 50 years, 2014 saw the first-ever THRESHPY Awards presentation, modeled after ESPN’s ESPY (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly) Awards.
Nominations were announced April 23, followed by a two-week online voting period. The awards ceremony took place May 8 in Memorial Hall.
In the photo on the right, April Harpe (women’s basketball) shows a bit of what garnered her the Student Spirit Award. The Faculty/Staff Spirit Award went to Dale Schrag ’69, campus pastor and director of church relations.
Soccer player Eric Preheim was named Mr. Thresher. Katie Regier, a member of both the women’s basketball and volleyball teams, claimed the title of Ms. Thresher.
Other THRESHPYs handed out were: Athlete of the Year, Logan Palenske (men’s tennis), Madison Wiles (women’s soccer) and the men’s tennis team; Best Supporting Role, Jared Kaufman (football) and Angelina Adame (women’s soccer); Champion of Character, Wesley Goodrich (men’s tennis and cross country) and Katelyn Fatten (cross country); Fan of the Year, Loren Reusser ’59, Newton; Newcomer of the Year, Stephen Scott (football) and Tori Pickens (volleyball); Student Trainer of the Year, Stephanie Shogren; and Student Worker of the Year, Jared Regehr.
Performance of the Year awards went to tennis players Clinton Chlumsky and Jesse Voth-Gaeddert, who defeated McPherson’s nationally ranked men’s doubles team; Lauren Ulrich, for women’s basketball’s 89-88 win over Kansas Wesleyan University Jan. 19; and the women’s basketball team for defeating the #8 team in the NAIA, Oklahoma Wesleyan University, Dec. 30, 2013.