SPOKANE, Wash. – The Whitworth University Department of Athletics has recognized four outstanding and inspirational student-athletes with the school's year-end special awards. Track and field and volleyball standout Amblessed Okemgbo is the 2026 Dennis Spurlock Award winner, while men's soccer senior Reeves Oakman claims the Aaron Leetch Inspiration award. Sierra Witte and Cody Wheeler are the Senior Athletes of the Year.
The Whitworth athletics department voted on the 2025-26 awards last week.
The Dennis Spurlock Award is named in memory of the former Pirate All-America quarterback (1958-61). The award was established to honor Whitworth student-athletes who model the characteristics of the award's namesake, specifically modesty, poise, and leadership in addition to excellence in athletics performance, drawing respect for the school, the team, and the individual.
Heading into her final national outdoor track & field national championship meet later this month, Okemgbo is already a five-time All-American in her Pirate throwing career. That includes a runner-up finish at the 2026 NCAA Division III Indoor Championships in the shot put. She will compete in the shot and discus throw in Lacrosse, Wisconsin in two weeks. She was runner-up in the discus and eighth in the shot put at the same meet last season. Okemgbo holds the Whitworth team records and Northwest Conference championship meet records in both specialties, which she set two weekends ago. Last fall Okemgbo finished an outstanding volleyball career as a three-year starter with first team All-NWC accolades after leading the team, and ranking among conference leaders, in kills per set and points per set.
The Aaron Leetch Inspiration Award was created in 2015 to honor the memory of the former Whitworth Director of Athletics who perished in a plane crash in April of that year. It recognizes a Pirate student-athlete who embodies inspiration, passion, perseverance and dedication to his or her sport.
Oakman was a defender who started for the men's soccer team as a freshman. He missed his sophomore year and most of his junior year with injuries in each hip that required surgical repair. Yet he never missed an opportunity to be at practice and games to support and encourage teammates. He overcame the injuries to return to the starting lineup in 2024, finishing second on the team in minutes played. In the off-season during the spring of 2025, Oakman suffered yet another injury – this time to his back. He missed his fifth-year training camp and non-conference games but made a near-miraculous return to play during the NWC schedule.
Witte led the 2026 lacrosse team in assists with 28 and finished second on the team in goals (31), total points (59), and draw controls. She was one of only four Pirates to start every game of the 2026 season. Witte finished her Pirate career with 109 goals, 69 assists and 178 total points. She also had 240 draw controls and 120 ground balls as a four-year starting midfielder.
Cody Wheeler earned a Northwest Conference title in the javelin this season with a throw that currently ranks among the top five in all of NCAA Division III. He also finished third in the hammer throw and fifth in the shot put, earning 20 points for the Pirates. Wheeler was the 2024 NCAA Division III champion in the javelin as a sophomore.
Members of the Whitworth athletics department voted for these student-athletes from among a strong class of Pirate seniors in 2026. All four seniors were recognized at Whitworth's year-end SAAC awards last week.
