Each year our student-athletes put in hard work in the classroom and in practice and competition. The Talons Athletic Awards Ceremony was designed to acknowledge those athletes in each sport who set the bar high and were nominated and selected for a specific team and/or athletic department award. Take a look at the Talons major awards that are nominated and selected on a annual basis:
Dr. Patt Dodds Female Academic Athlete of the Year
The Female Academic Athlete of the Year award is honored after Dr. Patt Dodds. Patt was very serious about her education and said she could not have had a better introduction to a college career than at SCC. After she left SCC she went on to Western Illinois to major in Kinesiology then moved on to Ohio State to get her Masters and Doctorate Degree in teacher education. After focusing on her own education she spent her life educating at the college level teaching doctoral students at the University of Massachusetts which most are now college professors across the Nation themselves. She was also the editor for two professional journals, a research reviewer for several others, and served as the president on research consortiums in higher education. Since retirement she is working north of vineyards in a food pantry and clerk of The Friends Library serving others.
The Dr. Patt Dodds Female Academic Athlete of the Year Award is honored to a sophomore student-athlete that exemplifies both excellence in the classroom and in their respective sport(s) over the course of their career.
Richard H. Loghry Male Academic Athlete of the Year
The Richard H. Loghry Male Academic Athlete of the Year winner is honored after Richard H. Loghry. As an SCC athlete Rick Loghry learned to be relentless about planning measurement and continuous improvement. He continued to emphasize these qualities moving forward in his academic and professional career. After attending SCC Loghry attended Rawlings College earning a BS in Science and an MBA. In his professional career Rick served on numerous board of directors including one for a publicly traded company. He served as vice president and plant manager of the Iowa Ammunitions Plant, served as general manager of the Pandex plant overseeing 3,300 employees. That was part of the country’s nuclear weapons complex. He has also served as cooperate president and chairman of the board. He has provided leadership to nonprofit groups and has served as a valued consultant to many other organizations.
The Richard H. Loghry Male Academic Athlete of the Year is honored to a sophomore student-athlete that exemplifies both excellence in the classroom and in their respective sport(s) over the course of their career.
Maribel Riera Female Athlete of the Year
The Female Athlete of the Year Award is honored after Maribel Riera. Maribel Riera known to most people at SCC as Chi Chi attended SCC from 2002-2004. Coming from Venezuela, Chi Chi only knew a handful of English words and began her studies in ESL graduating with an AA degree. Chi Chi was the star centerfielder for the 2003 Blackhawks National Championship team. At SCC she was a 2x 1st team All Conference award winner, 1st team All Midwest, and 1st team All American. Maribel transferred to Mobil University where she continued her successful ways making NAIA All District, All Tournament and All National First Teams. She won another National Championship there leading her team to a 51-2 record. Her accomplishments outside of college athletics are just as impressive. Chi Chi earned a Gold Medal at the South American Games, Central American Games, and Silver in the Pan American Games. She was part of a team taking 5th place in the World Championships and 1st place qualifier into the Beijing Games.
The Maribel Riera Female Athlete of the Year Award is honored to a female athlete that excelled in their respective sport(s).
Filiberto River Male Athlete of the Year
The Male Athlete of the Year is honored after Filiberto Rivera. Any athlete starting a journey at SCC aspires to have the athletic career that Filiberto Rivera had. Fili came to SCC from Puerto Rico in 2001 speaking no English. Fili left SCC a 1st Team All American, a National Champion, and a National Junior College Player of the Year and an SCC Graduate. Fili transferred to UTEP where he set the single season record for assists in a season including a game against Law Tech where he recorded 18 assists and 0 turnovers. Fili is known for playing his best basketball in the biggest of moments. Just one example of this is when he scored 32 points in the WAC Championship against Boise State, winning the Title, and Tournament MVP. To this day Fili plays professional basketball in Mexico and has enjoyed big contracts in Greek, German, and Italian leagues. Fili has been a member of the National Puerto Rico team since 2006.
The Filiberto Rivera Male Athlete of the Year Award is honored to a male athlete that excelled in their respective sport(s).
Dick Platt Award
The Dick Platt Award is our most prestigious award to give and was established many years ago. After 50 years it was reinstated for our first Talons. To understand this award you’d have to understand Dick Platt and the meaning of the award. Dick Platt was an all-around athlete and was not the tallest or biggest player, he was just a superb all-around athlete. As a quarterback he led the Burlington High School team of 1951 to an undefeated and untied season and they were crowned as champions in the State of Iowa. In 1953-1954 he came to SCC to play football, baseball, and basketball. Those were tough times for Blackhawks athletics, the Korean War was going on and many young men were being called up to service. So on his 1954 Blackhawks football team they only had 15 players total so as you can see they had to play both ways. On the playing fields, on the courts Dick was a fierce competitor. One quality of his is that he never ever gave up. His teams won and lost, but he never let that discourage him or more importantly discourage his teammates. He played as hard as anyone to win, but never at the cost of good sportsmanship. Dick’s athletic abilities were recognized and he earned a full scholarship to a 4-year college in Missouri to play quarterback. He would have been the first in his family to get 4 years in college. While Dick was attending classes and playing on multiple sports teams he was also serving his country, following in the footsteps of his older brothers Don and Ralph who were WWII veterans. Dick enlisted in the naval reserves and he committed to the training required so if he was called up to active duty he would be ready in an instant. Even though we’ve talked about Dick’s life as an athlete he was more than just that which is the essence of what the award means. He left a deep and lasting impression.
The Dick Platt Award is based on 4 criteria. Those criteria include: sportsmanship, leadership, scholarship, and service. None of which are about athletic ability, but rather a person’s character much like Dick Platt. Dick Platt was on the path to become a high school teacher and coach, but he never made it. Dick was killed Friday, August 20, 1954 during a tragic training exercise while serving aboard the battleship USS Iowa. Platt left the previous week for Norfolk, VA to participate in the two week training cruise. As tragic as his death was while serving in the military, it left a lasting impression on those he left. Soon after his death it was his classmates who had asked to have a trophy given in his honor – someone who exemplified all the characteristics that Dick Platt did.
Helping Hand Award
The Helping Hand Award recognizes the exemplary role of those who count it an honor to serve others through their courageous spirit. This person has helped the athletic department to an extreme measure and is recognized for their work as well as their dedication to Blackhawk Athletics.
INDIVIDUAL TEAM TALONS AWARDS BY ACADEMIC YEAR
2018-2019 INDIVIDUAL TEAM AWARD WINNERS
2019-2020 INDIVIDUAL TEAM AWARD WINNERS
2020-2021 INDIVIDUAL TEAM AWARD WINNERS
2021-2022 INVIDIVUAL TEAM AWARD WINNERS
2022-2023 INVIDIVUAL TEAM AWARD WINNERS
LIVESTREAM AWARDS CEREMONY BY ACADEMIC YEAR
2018-2019: April 29th at 7 pm: Click here to watch Talons Award Ceremony: https://vcloud.blueframetech.com/broadcast/embed/122451?windowed=true
2019-2020: Friday, May 1st at 7 pm Central: Click here to watch Talons Award Ceremony: https://youtu.be/dlLIjOV3HjI
2020-2021: Friday, July 2nd at 7 pm Central: Click here to watch Talons Award Ceremony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlX3oPGjrRI
2021-2022: Monday, April 25th at 7 pm Central: Click here to watch Talons Award Ceremony: https://www.facebook.com/scciowa/videos/358043226286259