Westminster College selected Katie Koonce as the 2015-16 Female Senior Athlete of the Year and Tyler Branneky and Deion Hughes the 2015-16 Westminster Senior Male Co-Athletes of the Year.

Katie Koonce, Women's Soccer

Katie Koonce, a senior defender from Norman, Okla., earned the Westminster College Female Senior Athlete of the Year award for 2015-16. 

Koonce was a College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) First Team All-District winner in 2015 and is a three-time SLIAC Academic All-Conference honoree. In 2015, she was named to the All-Conference Third Team, and in 2014, she was selected for the SLIAC All-Tournament Team. She is also a member of Chi Alpha Sigma, the National College Athlete Honor Society. 

Koonce was a part of turning the women's soccer program into a winning program. The team made the tournament her junior year for the first time in eight years, and her senior year she helped lead the Blue Jays to the first ever NCAA Tournament appearance.

"Coaching Katie these past four years has been an honor," said Head Coach Jen Dyson. "Her contributions to this program are immeasurable. Katie embodies, and has helped to continue to develop, what the women's soccer team strives to be by being a devoted and successful student along with being a leader in multiple organizations on campus."

Koonce is graduating with a Bachelor's in Business Communication.

Tyler Branneky, Baseball

Tyler Branneky, a senior third baseman from Bridgeton, Mo., is named the Westminster College Male Senior Co-Athlete of the Year for 2015-16.

Branneky currently holds seven of Westminster's ten career hitting records and has his name in the top three of the other three records. He also holds the season runs batted in record from the current season. 

Branneky is a 2016 CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team pick, and is a member of Chi Alpha Sigma, the National College Athlete Honor Society.  He was named the SLIAC Player of the Year in 2015 and the SLIAC Newcomer of the Year in 2013. He earned D3Baseball.com All-Region Third Team honors in 2013 and American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-Region Second Team honors in 2014. He is also three-time First Team All-SLIAC pick. 

Throughout his four years with the baseball program, he has helped guide the team to four 20+ win seasons, the first to do so in program history. The team made it to the conference tournament three of the four years with three second place finishes in conference play. 

"Tyler has been an unbelievable asset to our baseball program over the last four years," stated Head Coach Denny Hughes. "His outstanding leadership has helped motivate and inspire fellow teammates to excel. By amassing multiple school baseball records is a testament to his hard work and consistency. Tyler is a tremendous young man and his presence will be sorely missed."

Branneky is graduating with a Bachelor's in business and political science.

Deion Hughes, Baseball

Deion Hughes, a senior pitcher a outfielder from Jefferson City, Mo., is named the Westminster College Male Senior Co-Athlete of the Year for 2015-16.

Hughes holds five of the seven Westminster career records and is second in the remaining two pitching records. He holds two season pitching records and ranks in the top three in two others.

Hughes is the first ABCA Division III All-American in program history after being placed on the Second Team in 2014. He was named to the ABCA All-Region First Team in 2014, along with the D3Baseball.com All-Region Second Team. In 2013, he was a D3Baseball.com All-Region Third Team pick. He was named to the SLIAC All-Conference First Team in 2014 and 2015 and was named Honorable Mention in 2013.   

Hughes is a member of Chi Alpha Sigma, the National College Athlete Honor Society and was named to the SLIAC Academic All-Conference team in 2014.  

Throughout his four years with the baseball program, he has helped guide the team to four 20+ win seasons, the first to do so in program history. The team made it to the conference tournament three of the four years with three second place finishes in conference play. 

"Deion has given us stability on the mound and at the plate over his four years as a Blue Jay," stated Head Coach Denny Hughes. "He has been an integral part of our baseball program and has provided solid leadership on and off the field. Deion defines "teammate" with his unselfish desire to be the best he can be for the good of the team. He excelled in the classroom and on the field.  Deion will be missed."

Hughes is graduating with a Bachelor's in information technology.