INDIANAPOLIS – The Great Midwest Athletic Conference was proud to introduce Hillsdale College senior student-athlete Joseph Humes (Maybee, Mich./Milan HS) as the recipient of the 2019-20 Male Collegiate Achievement Award on Wednesday afternoon.
 
Humes, a decorated cross country and track and field student-athlete, was officially selected among a pool of strong applicants following a vote among the Great Midwest member institutions.
 
The conference award is traditionally presented at the Spring Awards Banquet along with the Presidents’ Cup, an award the University of Findlay retained for the second straight following the conclusion of fall and winter conference championships in 2019-20.
 
Humes demonstrated athletic and academic excellence while making an additional impact in the community. Since Hillsdale joined the Great Midwest as a full member starting in 2017-18, Humes has undoubtedly made a lasting impact in both of his respective sports.
 
Humes earned NCAA All-American status in each of the past two seasons in cross country, finishing 25th in 2018 and 19th in 2019 – both 10K races in excess of 250 with the nation’s best qualifiers.
 
His time of 30:16.90 clocked at the 2019 national meet in California ranks second all-time in Great Midwest history and outright, he has staked claim to the top three times in the conference records in the 8K distance. He also owns the 5K conference record in the sport.
 
Humes has been just as elite for the Chargers during the indoor and outdoor track and field seasons, securing eight different conference titles throughout his career. He was twice named Great Midwest Track Athlete of the Meet and is the official indoor record holder in the 3K.
 
Humes also qualified for nationals in the mile while being one of eight student-athletes to represent the Great Midwest at the 2018 NCAA Championships. His career officially launched in 2016 when Hillsdale was a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
 
For more than 10 years, Humes has volunteered with Immaculate Conception Church, assisting different projects within the community. He also held a significant role for the Chargers while serving in the program’s leadership council and helping draft ideas for community service projects.
 
As a chemistry major, Humes graduated with a GPA of 3.61 at Hillsdale and will attend Purdue University in the fall to pursue his Master’s degree in chemical engineering.
 
“Hillsdale College cross country and track will feel the impact Joey has had on our program for years to come,” endorsed Hillsdale assistant coach R.P. White. “Joey’s impact on my life will last forever. Whenever you encounter a person like Joey, you have one of two options. Either you can mimic their tenacity for excellence or you restrain from it. I was not about to do the latter. His teammates did not either. He served as the ultimate example of using your God-given gifts to the utmost.”
 
“I have taught chemistry at Hillsdale College for the past 18 years, and I would rank Joe in the top 10% of all graduating chemistry and biochemistry seniors that I have seen at Hillsdale in that time,” added Hillsdale chemistry professor Mark Nussbaum. “I have no doubt that he will be a productive and welcome addition wherever he invests the next phase of his education and career.”
 
Other finalists for the 2019-20 award included Findlay’s Neal Davis (football), Kentucky Wesleyan’s Alex Franzen (baseball) and Ohio Dominican’s Camren Moore (football).
 
About the Great Midwest Collegiate Achievement Award
The Great Midwest Athletic Conference annually selects (1) male and (1) female outgoing senior student-athlete to be honored with the Collegiate Achievement Award. This award shall be based upon an individual’s academic excellence, athletic achievements, character, leadership and engagement within the community and conference. The 2019-20 academic year represents the sixth annual presentation of the award and is the highest honor a Great Midwest student-athlete can receive.