PENSACOLA BEACH, Fla. — The Gulf South Conference honored its 2023-24 Top Ten award winners on Thursday evening in Pensacola Beach, Fla. Headlining the night’s festivities were GSC Commissioner Trophy winners Kate Dirkse and Sam Wilhelm.
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TOP TEN BIOS
Dirkse is the third consecutive recipient and sixth all-time winner from Lee University. She is also the first Lady Flame women’s soccer student-athlete to be earn the honor since 2018 (Sumner Lanter).
Wilhelm is the third UAH student-athlete to be recognized and the first since 2015 (Luke Mould). He is also the conference’s fourth men’s cross country and first men’s track & field student-athlete in the award’s history to be honored.
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The Commissioner’s Trophy is the most prestigious honor bestowed by the conference, which is presented annually to the student-athlete who best combines outstanding performance on the field or court and high academic achievement in the classroom with significant community service and extracurricular activities. The league initiated the men’s award during the 1974-75 academic year, and added the women’s award in the 1982-83 season.
Kate Dirkse, Lee
Women’s Soccer
Finance & Accounting
Academic Achievements
• Four-time GSC Honor Roll
• Two-time GSC All-Academic Team
• 2024 GSC Women’s Soccer Champion Scholar-Athlete
• 2024 United Soccer Coaches Academic All-American
• 2024 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District
• Chi Alpha Sigma member – National Student-Athlete Honor Society
Athletic Achievements
• Team captain and five-year letterwinner for the Lady Flames
• 2023 D2CCA First Team All-American
• 2023 First Team All-Region (D2CCA, United Soccer Coaches)
• 2023 First Team All-GSC
• 2023 GSC Defensive Player of the Year
• Helped Lee win two tournament titles (2021, '23) and a regular season title (2021)
• United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-American (2022)
• D2CCA First Team All-Region & Third Team All-American (2022)
• Two-time GSC All-Tournament Team
Community Service/Extracurricular
• On-Campus Tutor
• Volunteered at Lee University Preview
• Volunteered with School of Business, spoke to several classes
• Austin Hatcher Foundation
• Read at local elementary schools
• Spoke to elementary schools about women in business
Sam Wilhelm, UAH
Cross Country/Track & Field
Aerospace Engineering
Academic Achievements
• 2024 GSC Indoor Track & Field Champion Scholar-Athlete
• 2024 GSC Indoor Track & Field All-Academic Team
• Two-time GSC Cross Country All-Academic Team (2022, '23)
• GSC Outdoor Track & Field All-Academic Team (2023)
• Seven-time GSC Honor Roll
• Three-time USTFCCCA Division II Cross Country All-Academic
Athletic Achievements
• Team captain and three-year letterwinner for the Chargers
• 2023 GSC Cross Country Runner of the Year
• Three-time GSC Cross Country First Team All-GSC (2021, ‘22, ’23)
• GSC Indoor Track & Field First Team All-GSC
• GSC Indoor Track & Field Second Team All-GSC
• Two-time GSC Outdoor Track & Field First Team All-GSC
• Two-time GSC Outdoor Track & Field Second Team All-GSC
• GSC Cross Country Championship Record Holder
• GSC Indoor Track & Field Championship 3000m Record Holder
• USTFCCCA Cross Country First Team All-American
• USTFCCCA Indoor Track & Field Second Team - 5K
Community Service/Extracurricular
• Volunteered with Huntsville Soccer Club
• Helps to run middle school track meets in the area