NAPERVILLE — Carthage College student-athletes Grace Norman (women's swimming & diving) and Bryce Lowe (football) have been selected as the Firebirds' 2024-25 recipients of the Merle Chapman Leadership Award, as announced by the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) on Wednesday afternoon.

The annual honor recognizes one male and one female student-athlete from each CCIW institution who best demonstrate the traits championed by the award's namesake: loyalty, enthusiasm, leadership, sportsmanship, and a dedication to excellence both in and out of competition. Nominees must be active members of their institution's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and compete in a CCIW-sponsored sport.

Named in honor of former Millikin Athletics Director and longtime CCIW administrator Merle Chapman, the award reflects his decades-long influence as a teacher, coach and mentor throughout the conference. Chapman served as CCIW commissioner from 1997 to 2002 following more than 30 years of service to the league.

Norman and Lowe were chosen by Carthage for their consistent leadership, commitment to their teams, and active involvement in enhancing the student-athlete experience across campus.