NAPERVILLE, Ill. – The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin announced the winners of its 2019-20 Merle Chapman Leadership Award on April 20 and seniors Maddy Murillo (Antioch HS, Antioch, Ill.) and Daniel Artman (Schaumburg HS, Hanover Park, Ill.) were selected as Augustana's recipients. Murillo is a member of Coach Mark Beinborn's Viking basketball squad and Artman, who also won the award a year ago, competes for Coach Mick Regan's Augustana soccer program.
 
Each CCIW institution selects one male and one female, who participate in a CCIW-sponsored sport, from their Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
 
The award is named after the former Millikin Director of Athletics and the CCIW's second commissioner, who served in that capacity from 1997-2002. It recognizes student-athletes that best exemplify the traits that Chapman displayed and encouraged during his three-plus decades of service as teacher, coach and mentor to the athletes, coaches and administrators of the CCIW. Those traits are loyalty, enthusiasm, leadership, sportsmanship, and a commitment to academic, athletic and personal excellence.
 
A biology major and Presidential Scholar, Murillo is Augustana's SAAC Vice President. She is also involved with Fellowship of Christian Athletes and is an associate member of the Tri Beta Biology Honors Society. Her community service efforts included volunteering with Special Olympics, Global Brigades-Honduras and in hospice care. She served as a microbiology lab undergraduate teaching assistant as well.
 
On the court, Murillo saw action in 24 contests this year, starting four. She averaged 2.3 points and 2.1 rebounds per game, blocked eight shots and shot .462 from the field and .778 from the free throw line.
 
Artman is an accounting and business finance major and Augustana's SAAC president. Also a Presidential Scholar, he served an accounting and finance internship with US foods and is the Director of the Office of Student Life Leadership Academy at Augustana. After graduation, he will be working as a Deal Advisory and Strategy Associate at KPMG in Chicago, Illinois.
 
A three-time Academic All-Conference honoree, Artman was one of just three Vikings to start all 15 matches this year and dished out a pair of assists. He finished his career with 63 matches played and never missed a contest after his freshman season.
 
Kelly Bethke, head women's volleyball coach, and Kris Kistler, head softball coach, are the faculty/coaching advisors for the SAAC at Augustana. Bethke offered about this year's honorees, "Danny Artman and Maddy Murillo have provided tremendous leadership to our Student Athlete Advisory Committee. Danny and Maddy served as president and vice president, respectively, for the last two years. They revived the group, constructed a constitution and led many service projects. They provided great energy and enthusiasm to support our student athletes at Augustana. They provided a great framework for the future of the committee and will be greatly missed."