ANGOLA, Ind. – At the 2023 Honors Day Ceremony, Trine University recognized the top male and female student athletes of the senior class. Keysean Amison of the football team received the Robert L. Greim Award for Top Male Student-Athlete and Ellie Trine of the softball team was tabbed the Cheryl L. Coons Award recipient as Top Female Student-Athlete.
These award recipients were selected by the coaching staff of Trine University to recognize the outstanding male and female senior athlete each year. The nominations were based on athletic accomplishment, leadership, character, citizenship and scholarship and as you will see, these two students are more than deserving of this award.
Amison, a senior defensive back on the Trine University football team, played five seasons for the Thunder ending his career as one of the best to wear the uniform. During his freshman season, the team won the 2018 MIAA Championship, and despite limited playing time, he quickly distinguished himself as a defensive juggernaut. During the rest of his career, Amison proved the point finishing top-ten in program history in three different statistical categories. He was second in forced fumbles with six, sixth in total tackles with 263 and seventh with 108 assisted tackles.
The two-time captain, saved his best season for last, recording 98 tackles, the fifth most in the programs NCAA Division III history. During the conference portion of the season he led MIAA competitors with 32 solo tackles, 38 assisted tackles, 70 total tackles and 11.7 tackles per game. In the team's game against Hope he recorded 19 tackles, the third most in a game during the programs NCAA history and fifth most overall. He was named MIAA Defensive Most Valuable Player, the highest conference honor for a defensive player and became a three-time member of the All-MIAA First Team Defense. The year culminated with him earning All-American status from all three organizations that recognize Division III student-athletes, including first team by the American Football Coaches Association, second team by the Associated Press and third team by D3football.com. He is just the third Trine football player ever to earn all three awards in a single season.
Off the field, Amison will graduate having majored in Computer Information Science, a degree in which he accumulated a 3.17 GPA. In conjunction with his degree he is already working in the field of cybersecurity. Amison's work in the community is highlighted by his volunteering for Park Clean-Up days around the area.
Head coach Troy Abbs had this to say about the 2023 Robert L. Greim award winner: "Keysean has had an amazing career for the Thunder, culminating in a great final season. On the field he was an athletic guy that delivered punishing hit after punishing hit against opponents. He is one of the best football players to put on a helmet for the Thunder, but even better was that he was a great role model both on the field and in the classroom."
Ellie Trine, a senior outfielder for the Trine University softball team, was seemingly meant to be a part of the program. She has been a crucial leader during the continued success of the softball team and as they set the new benchmark for success of the program, including the first NCAA Division III team championship earlier this month.
Ellie has been a fixture at the top of the lineup for the Thunder having led off the order in almost every one of her games. She has spent her four years finding ways to get on base, represented by her boasting one of the five best on-base percentages in program history. Ellie also currently sits top-ten for the program in career doubles and walks.
Ellie turned in one of her most prolific seasons during 2022, leading way as the Thunder finished their season in the NCAA Division III Softball Championship Tournament finals, ultimately ending as the second-best team in the country. Along the way she racked up individual honors including the MIAA Most Valuable Position Player and her second first team All-MIAA selection. She earned recognition on the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) second team All-Region and would go on to be a part of the All-Tournament team for the regional round of the national tournament. Ellie showed her strongest play against MIAA opponents ending the conference season leading her competitors, and teammates, with 32 hits, a .571 batting average, a .613 on-base percentage and eight double.
Off the field, Ellie graduates with a degree in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Aerospace Engineering. She has a 3.40 GPA and has been named to both the Dean's and President's list while at Trine. Ellie has also found time to volunteer with both the Humane Society and with the Special Olympics.
Head coach Don Danklefsen had the following to say about Ellie: "Ellie has spent four years being a hard working and quiet leader on our team. Her love of the game is second to none and she finds ways to balance both work and softball without ever missing a beat. The amount of work she does on and off the field to be with the team everyday is amazing. She is a credit to both the name on the front and back of her jersey."
