Female Finalists | Male Finalists | Award History

Champaign, Ill. – The University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics (DIA) announced Thursday that softball's Nicole Evans (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) and wrestling's Isaiah Martinez (Lemoore, Calif.) are recipients of the 2016-17 Dike Eddleman Awards, which are presented annually to the top Fighting Illini female and male athlete. The recipients were selected by vote of Illinois head coaches, DIA executive staff and the DIA athletics awards committee.

Evans becomes the first softball player to be named Eddleman Female Athlete of the Year. The female award was first awarded in 1977, but the softball program at Illinois did not start until 2000. 

"Dike Eddleman set the example for what all student athletes should strive to emulate," Evans said. "I am so humbled and so thankful to my teammates, coaches and this school for this award."

Martinez is a repeat winner, becoming just the eighth two-time winner and seventh repeat winner in the history of the male award, which dates back to 1940. Martinez joins Fighting Illini greats Andy Phillip (1942 & 43, basketball), Dike Eddleman (1948 & '49, football/basketball/track), Dick Butkus (1964 & '65, football), Dave Scholz (1968 & '69, basketball), Tony Eason (1982 & 83, football) and Andrew Riley (2011 & '12, track) as back-to-back Athlete of the Year recipients. Justin Spring (gymnastics) also won the award twice, in 2004 and '06, but not consecutively. No male athlete has been a three-time winner. It marks the 10th time a wrestler has brought home the honor. 

"It's a pleasure and honor to represent the University of Illinois," Martinez said. "I am grateful for this recognition."

NICOLE EVANS | 2017 Dike Eddleman Female Athlete of the Year

• 2017 Arthur Ashe Jr. National Female Sports Scholar of the Year
• NFCA Third-Team All-American
• Big Ten Medal of Honor recipient
• First-Team All-Big Ten, Big Ten All-Defensive Team, and NFCA First-Team All-District
• Led the Fighting Illini to an NCAA Regional Final appearance
• Led the Illini and ranked among Big Ten leaders in seven offensive categories on the season: batting average (.349), slugging percentage (.775), on-base percentage
(.471), RBIs (58), home runs (18), total bases (131) and walks (33).

ISAIAH MARTINEZ | 2017 Dike Eddleman Male Athlete of the Year

• Runner-Up at the 2017 NCAA Championships, earning All-America honors for the third straight season
• Ranked No. 1 throughout the year, compiling a 31-1 overall record on the season with six pins and 10 technical falls
• Big Ten 165-pound Champion, defeating No. 2 Logan Massa, 10-4, in the final
• Midlands 165-pound Champion
• Holds the school record for career win percentage (.980) and ranks 25th all-time in wins (98)
• Competed at USA World Team Trials, finishing third

As Fighting Illini Athletes of the Year, Evans and Martinez 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. Evans (softball) and Joe Spencer (football) were recipients of the Big Ten Medal of Honor and Tracy Abrams (basketball) and Jill Nicklas (softball) took home the Spirit Awards at the OSKEE Awards in April. Michael Feagles (golf) and Jacqueline Quade (volleyball) won Newcomer of the Year, announced Wednesday. 

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.

Evans and Martinez 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), Tyler Jay (baseball, 2015) and last year's winners, Jocelyn Birks (volleyball) and Martinez, a repeat winner. 

Dike Eddleman Athlete of the Year History