The 2026 recipients of the Dick Dhabalt Athlete of the Year Award at Lincoln Land Community College have been announced. This year's award winners are men's basketball forward Gus McCrary of Vincennes, IN and women's soccer goalie Elle Walker of Pleasant Plains, IL.
"Dick Dhabalt's vision shaped the foundation of our athletics program, but his greatest legacy lies in the personal impact he made on generations of students. Dick remembered every student, every stat, and every story. Long after his retirement, he remained a constant presence - cheering, mentoring, and supporting. His life reminds us that athletics is about more than wins; it's about people, and Dick never forgot that." – Karen Sanders VP, Advancement/Executive Director at Lincoln Land Community College.
Gus McCrary was a sophomore forward from Vincennes, IN. He played in 24 games and shot 40% for field goals. He was 43% from three-point range. He had a total of 130 total rebounds with 111 of them coming from the defense side of the ball. That was good for 5.4 rebounds per game. He added 42 assists for the year with 12 blocks and 25 steals. He averaged 4.2 points per game for a total of 100 points. Gus was the team captain. He also received some team awards to go along with his outstanding performance on and off the court. He was recognized for the teams Dusk to Dawn, Heart of the Land, and the Teams Most Valuable Personality.
"Gus was the soul, core, and leader of our team this past season" said Ben Kramer head basketball coach. "Gus was the leader in action and words. As Gus went, our team often went. Gus never lit up the stat sheets with big numbers, but his impact was felt game by game. He was a captain, but more importantly he was who many turned to for the direction of the team."
Elle Walker was a sophomore goalie for the women's soccer team from Pleasant Plains, IL. Walker played in 11 games and started in 10 games. She only had 10 goals against her which was .95 goals-against average both were 19th best in the country. Her save percentage was .861 which was 11th best in the nation. She recorded six wins that was 32nd best in the nation. Walker had three shut outs with 62 saves.
"Elle is the hardest working student-athlete I have." said head coach David Meyer. "She shows up every day with a positive attitude and a strong work ethic, and she consistently lifts the environment around her. She rises to the occasion and competes with consistency and confidence."
The LLCC Dick Dhabalt Athlete of the Year Award recognizes annually one LLCC male athlete and one female athlete. The award was established in February 2015 in honor of Mr. Dhabalt, former athletic director, head men's basketball coach and faculty member, and acknowledges his dedication to education, athletics and students at LLCC.
