EAST PEORIA, Ill. – The UIndy softball team enjoyed a memorable evening at the annual GLVC Softball Awards Banquet Wednesday. Standout pitcher/utility player Cheyenne Eads was announced as the conference's Freshman of the Year, while a trio of Greyhounds—Cara Cooper, Josie Jager and Brooklyn Willis—were voted to the exclusive All-GLVC First Team.
 
Eads, who was also named to the league's third team, becomes the eighth Greyhound to be dubbed the GLVC's top rookie and third since 2021. Cooper (UTL), Jager (DP) and Willis (OF) made UIndy one of only two schools with more than three names on the first team.
 
Willis tops the team in home runs with seven and shares the GLVC lead with 52 RBIs on the season, Cooper is knocking on the door of the school's single-season doubles record, while Jager ranks sixth in the GLVC with a .419 batting average in league play.
 
The league also recognized one student-athlete from each team as honorees for the James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award, with freshman Sydney Oliver earning the nod for the Hounds. The student-athletes chosen are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. These individuals must also be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting. The honorees are now eligible to become one of their school's two Spalding Sportsmanship Award winners.
 
Head Coach Melissa Frost and her Greyhounds are fresh off a 4-2 win in the GLVC Tournament. The team returns to the field tomorrow at 3 p.m. Eastern to face Missouri S&T.
 
 
From GLVCsports.com
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Cheyenne Eads, P/UTL

• Secures eighth Freshman of the Year accolade for UIndy.
• Finished top-10 in multiple pitching stats for GLVC contests, including wins (10), complete games (10), innings (94.2), strikeouts (99), strikeouts looking (28), and opponent batting average (.235).
  • Notched 3.11 earned run average and added one shutout and one save.
• Paced conference overall in wins (19), games started (28), and innings (184.2), while tying for first in saves (3) and finishing second in strikeouts (215) and shutouts (5).
  • Accumulated 2.27 earned run average and .209 opponent batting average.
  • Tossed no-hitter in fourth collegiate start against Wheeling, the quickest achieve the feat in program history.
• Contributed on offense with a .428 on-base percentage, 51 hits, 39 runs scored, 32 RBIs, 14 doubles, and one home run.
• Started 53 games of the Greyhounds' 54 contests.
• Named GLVC Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 17 and Apr. 14.

A complete list of the 2025 All-GLVC teams and postseason honorees can be found below.

PLAYER & PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Delaney Garden, Sr., P/OF, Lewis
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Cheyenne Eads, P/UT, Indianapolis
COACH OF THE YEAR: Becky Pearl, Lewis
 

FIRST TEAM AJ Agers, Sr., UT-P, DU   Sophia Luetticke, Jr., OF, DU Rosie Bartletti, Jr., P, UIS Ella Brinkley, Sr., 3B, UIS Cara Cooper, So., UT-NP, UINDY Josie Jager, Fr., DP, UINDY Brooklyn Willis, Fr., OF, UINDY Delaney Garden, Sr., P, LEWIS # Kristen Graham, Jr., C, LEWIS Allie Wondrasek, Jr., P, LEWIS Lauren Harris, Jr., SS, MCK # Sydney Anderson, Sr., 1B, S&T Emily Wood, R-So., OF, TSU Amanda Chung, Jr., 2B, WJC # unanimous selection

SECOND TEAM Taylor Zawacki, Sr., OF, UIS Abbi Conrad, Sr., 2B, LIN Emily Corona, Sr., SS, MU Chayse Ramey, Gr., P, MU Sami Huck, Jr., P, MCK Sami Huck, Jr., UT-P, MCK Ellie Vetter, Jr., P, MCK Courtney Settles, Sr., UT-NP, UMSL Hannah Tomlianovich, Jr., 1B, UMSL Angie Micone, So., OF, SBU Caragan Baker, Sr., 3B, TSU Cassie Smith, Jr., OF, TSU Avaree Taylor, Fr., DP, TSU Tristin Doster, Sr., C, UIU

THIRD TEAM Cheyenne Eads, Fr., UT-P, UINDY  Anna Frafjord, Jr., 1B, LEWIS Cora Boyle, Fr., P, MU Addison Koth, So., DP, MU Sarah Roth, Sr., 2B, MCK Morgan Spodarek, Fr., C, MCK Morgan Spodarek, Fr., UT-NP, MCK  Laynee Tapp, Jr., OF, MCK Mia Miller, Fr., P, S&T Jamie Widule, Jr., 3B, UMSL Kenzie Moss, Jr., SS, QU Riley Braden, Fr., P, RU Eva Fulk, Jr., OF, RU Serah Shafer, Jr., OF, UIU

 
GLVC JAMES R. SPALDING SPORTSMANSHIP HONOREES
Kenna Trower, DU
Malia Bender, UIS
Sydney Oliver, UINDY
Avery Lewis, LEWIS
Emily Thompson, LIN
Isabella Garcia, MU
Jenna Roth, MCK
Sydney Anderson, S&T
Lexi Sherrick, UMSL
Jessie Martin, QU
Eva Fulk, RU
Audrey Rahlmann, SBU
Nina Fenasci, TSU
Sara Reid, UIU
Addie Bell, WJC

GLVC JAMES R. SPALDING SPORTSMANSHIP TEAM AWARD
Drury & Missouri-St. Louis