Watson and Wyse Receive Prestigious Taylor Honors
UPLAND, Ind. – Tanner Watson and Cassidy Wyse were recognized on Monday as the winners of Taylor’s Gates-Howard and Natalie Steele Awards. The duo received the awards during TU’s annual Honors Chapel.
The Gates-Howard Award and Natalie Steele Award are designed to recognize Taylor’s top male and female senior student-athletes for excellence in competition, academics and character. Individuals are nominated for and voted on by the TU athletics department.
Watson received the Gates-Howard award and is poised to graduate this May with a degree in finance and a 3.75 cumulative grade-point average. Watson already boasts two CoSIDA Academic All-District awards and one CoSIDA Academic All-America honor during his time in Upland and is a likely candidate for additional honors later this spring.
On the diamond, the Granger, Indiana native, is a likely three-time All-Crossroads League performer who has also earned Crossroads League Newcomer of the Year and Crossroads League Gold Glove recognition during his four-year career. The catcher will enter play on Monday with 217 games played in a Taylor uniform, a .343 career average, 253 hits, 48 doubles, 62 extra-base hits and a career .425 on-base percentage.
Watson’s head coach, Kyle Gould, stated, “Tanner is as quality of a young man as I have ever coached. He is a trusted mentor to the younger players on our team, was a leader on our service trip to Fort Lauderdale this spring and works incredibly well with the kids at our youth camps.”
Wyse was the recipient of TU’s Natalie Steele Award and is on track to graduate in May with a degree in elementary education and a 3.74 GPA. Wyse was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District squad this spring and is a two-time Academic All-Crossroads League and NAIA Scholar-Athlete award winner.
On the hardwood, the Archbold, Ohio native, was a four-time All-Crossroads League selection, who also earned CL Freshman-of-the-Year honors during her time wearing the Purple and Gold. The play-making forward and team captain received the NAIA Champions of Character Award and closed her career with 1,527 points to rank eighth in TU history.
TU head women’s basketball coach, Jody Martinez, had this to say about Wyse, “Cassidy is an amazing young lady and student-athlete. In my 27 years of coaching, she ranks at the top of the list of being an amazing captain and team leader on and off the court. It was a blessing to have coached her this past season, and I look forward to her bright future as an educator and coach.”