Toney honored as recipient of prestigious OVC Scholar-Athlete Award for 2024-25
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – What has become a long-standing, Tennessee Tech Athletics tradition, one more Golden Eagle student-athlete was recognized for succeeding at the highest level of the Ohio Valley Conference Thursday afternoon as the League announced its six recipients of the 2024-25 OVC Scholar-Athlete Award, including women's soccer forward Katie Toney.
By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information & OVC Media Relations
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – What has become a long-standing, Tennessee Tech Athletics tradition, one more Golden Eagle student-athlete was recognized for succeeding at the highest level of the Ohio Valley Conference Thursday afternoon as the League announced its six recipients of the 2024-25 OVC Scholar-Athlete Award, including women's soccer forward Katie Toney.
The award is given annually to three men and three women student-athletes for their accomplishments in both the classroom and athletic arena, and because of their leadership qualities. This marks the seventh time in the past eight years at least one Tech student-athlete was honored.
Toney represents the 41st Golden Eagle student-athlete to take home the honor and the 11th in the past nine years. Last year, baseball's Peyton Calitri and women's soccer's Yao Giada Zhou earned the honor for the purple and gold. The two went on to be named Tech's Man of the Year and Woman of the Year for 2023-24.
"I couldn't be more proud of Katie and all of our student-athletes who truly understand and respect their commitment to strive for the best, not only on their field of play, but in the classroom as well," Tech Director of Athletics Mark Wilson expressed. "Katie has shown a tireless work ethic as both a student and athlete since she first stepped foot on our campus and I'm very excited for her to be recognized with the highest honor presented by the Ohio Valley Conference."
Toney, a McMinnville native, has helped lead the Golden Eagles to a regular season championship in each of her first three seasons (2022, 2023, 2024). During the 2023 campaign, she was named OVC Forward of the Year while earning first-team All-OVC and OVC All-Tournament honors (she once again earned first-team honors in 2024). Overall, she played in 19 matches, scoring six goals and assisting on a league-leading seven other scores.
In the classroom, she has a 4.0 grade point average as a double major in exercise science and interdisciplinary studies. She has earned multiple OVC Academic Medal of Honor awards and has been named to the TTU Dean's List. Toney has served as the treasurer of TTU Impact, marketing director of Best Buddies (a program that creates opportunities for those with mental and/or physical disabilities), an ambassador for the College of Business, a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Marketing Club.
The other 2024-25 OVC Scholar-Athlete winners included Mackenzie Aldridge of Eastern Illinois (cross country/track & field), Paxton DeLaurent of Southeast Missouri (football), Izzy Patterson of UT Martin (soccer), Chad Smith of Eastern Illinois (soccer), and Jonathan Xoinis of UT Martin (golf).
"Our student-athletes continue to achieve at the highest level and this is just another example of that," Wilson added. "I am so proud that we have been represented with one of these honors so frequently over the last nine years. Katie truly earned this honor and we are elated to have her representing our University."
The six winners were selected from a group of finalists by a vote of OVC Faculty Athletics Representatives. Honorees must have performed athletically with distinction, earned at least a 3.5 grade-point average and conducted themselves in a manner which has brought credit to the student-athlete, his or her institution, intercollegiate athletics, and the OVC. The award is based on academic and athletic criteria/accomplishments achieved during the 2023-24 school year.
Other nominees for the Scholar-Athlete Award were: Rachel Balinao of Western Illinois (soccer), Sanura Branigan of Tennessee State (track & field), Abe Haerr of Lindenwood (football), Sofie Lowis of SIUE (basketball), Nic Muench of SIUE (soccer), Hayden Olsen of Tennessee Tech (football), Elizabeth Rater of Southeast Missouri (soccer), Vanessa Shafford of Southern Indiana (basketball), and Irene Wogenstahl of Morehead State (volleyball).
Photo by Jim Dillon
