WICHITA, Kan. – The Friends University Falcons will be well-represented at this year's Greater Wichita Sports Banquet, as men's basketball student-athlete KJ Spiller is a finalist for College Male Athlete of the Year and softball student-athlete Riley Wertz is a finalist in the College Female Athlete of the Year category.
Spiller, a third-team NAIA All-America performer and the Co-KCAC Player of the Year last season, fueled the Men's Basketball Falcons to their best season in quite some time.
A Kansas City, Mo. native, Spiller led the Falcons in scoring at 16.3 ppg and averaged 5.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting an efficient 49.6 percent from the field (199-401) and 40 percent from three-point distance (40-100).
Behind Spiller, the Falcons recorded their most wins (24) in six years, won a NAIA Postseason game for the first time since 2013-14 and finished second in the KCAC after being picked ninth and 10th in the preseason polls.
"This is another very deserving award for KJ to be nominated for," said Friends men's basketball head coach Phil McClintock. "I'm so proud of KJ not only for his play on the court, but how much he grew as a person during his time at Friends."
Both an NAIA and NFCA All-American, Wertz gave the Falcons a true ace in the circle this past season. The Wichita product finished fourth in the NAIA with a school single-season (modern-era) record 248 strikeouts and posted a 22-8 record in pitching the Falcons to their first KCAC regular season championship since 2016.
Wertz's stellar season also featured tossing the first perfect game for the program since 2008 against Bethany College (Mar. 22) and wrapping up the season with a 1.92 ERA while limiting opposing hitters to a .201 batting average.
"Our "hometown girl" being nominated for this award is a direct result of her incredible talent and consistent performances on the mound this year for the Falcons!" said Friends softball head coach Suzanne Unruh. "I love that our community is celebrating these athletes' achievements. We're immensely proud of her well-deserved recognition for this award."
The winners will be announced on June 26 at INTRUST Bank Arena, with former Kansas Jayhawk and two-time NBA champion Mario Chalmers scheduled to be this year's featured speaker.
Click HERE to purchase tickets and cheer on both Spiller and Wertz at this year's Greater Wichita Sports Banquet.
