DURANT, Okla. – Southeastern Deputy Director of Athletics Cherrie Wilmoth and Hall of Fame football standout Drew Beard have been selected as nominees for the Division II 50th Anniversary Gold Award.
This award, which is part of the division's yearlong 50th anniversary celebration that launched Aug. 7 and will extend through the 2024 Division II Baseball Championship in June, will recognize two individuals (one individual who identifies as male and one who identifies as female) who have made a positive impact in Division II.
The nominees include current and former student-athletes, coaches, faculty members and administrators from active member schools and conferences who have helped shape Division II over time.
Wilmoth earned her degree from Southeastern in 1995 and tacked on a Master in 1996 before returning to her alma mater to re-launch the volleyball program as an NCAA Division II sport in 1998.
She would guide that program until 2006, earning Lone Star Conference North Division Coach of the Year honors in 2001 and guiding the program's first All-American and Regional and Conference Player of the Year in Olivia Franceskini.
While coaching she would also take on the roles of Senior Woman Administrator and Compliance Coordinator which she would maintain even after leaving her coaching role in 2007.
She has served in numerous advisory roles in both the Lone Star Conference and the Great American Conference and in 2016 was selected to serve a term on the Division II Management Council and has continued to serve on committees with the NCAA regarding the DII legislative process.
Beard, was a standout on the gridiron from 2001-2004 and ranked up numerous awards and becoming one of Southeastern's most decorated student-athletes.
Most recently, he was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame with the class of 2014 and prior to that was named to the Division II 40
th Anniversary Team.
A two-time All-American and two-time finalist for the Harlon Hill award, he would compile 9,758 yards of total offense over four seasons, a Southeastern record to this day, while accounting for 93 touchdowns.
At the same time Beard was collecting accolades on the field, he was serving his country in the Army Reserves. Throughout his playing career, Beard was an active reservist often joining his fellow troops for training following his Saturday games. After graduating he joined the National Guard and was later deployed for a nine-month tour in Iraq.
"The nominees reflect the considerable impact so many individuals have had on intercollegiate athletics over the years but also the pride the Division II membership demonstrates consistently in providing the experiences that enable young people to make a positive difference in the world," said Terri Steeb Gronau, vice president of Division II.
Conference offices will review the nominated individuals and select two conference winners (one individual who identifies as male and one who identifies as female) by Nov. 6. The NCAA Division II Management Council Identity Subcommittee will review the finalists and select the two overall winners, who will be recognized at the 2024 NCAA Convention in Phoenix.
"The quality of nominees will certainly make it challenging for the Division II Identity Subcommittee to recommend just two Gold Award recipients," Steeb Gronau said. "It truly is eye-opening to read through the candidates' accomplishments and realize how their contributions have made us better as a division."
As part of the anniversary celebration, Division II also will provide a commemorative scholarship opportunity for student-athletes from active member schools who exhibit the core values of Division II and have not yet exhausted their athletics eligibility. Two recipients from each conference and two representing the independent institutions will be announced in May during the 2024 NCAA Division II National Championships Festival in Orlando, Florida. Nomination procedures for the scholarship will be announced to the Division II membership in January.
To learn more about Division II's 50th anniversary celebration, visit ncaa.org/dii50.