The male Panther of the Year is going to Cooper Willman from the football team.

The senior wide receiver from Sterling was named part of the 2024 First Team All-Big South/Ohio Valley Conference as both a wide receiver and an all-purpose player.

Willman started all 12 games and set a single game program record for receiving yards against Gardner Webb. Willman recorded 291 yards on 11 receptions with three touchdowns against the Runnin’ Bulldogs.

Willman became the 35th player in school history with 1,000 receiving yards with 1,324 total receiving yards, according to EIU Athletics.

Willman finished the year with eight touchdowns for 48 yards.

The female Panther of the Year is going to Macy McGlone from the women’s basketball team.

The senior forward from Greenville, Wisconsin, won her second straight OVC Player of the Year award at the end of the regular season. McGlone is the tenth person in conference history to win back to back Player of the Year awards.

McGlone was also named part of the 2024-2025 All-OVC First Team.

Throughout the 2024-2025 season, McGlone started all 30 games, averaging 17.9 points, 11.7 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game. McGlone ranked in sixth place in the NCAA in rebounds per game and 11th for double-doubles (18).

McGlone was named OVC Player of the Week six times during the regular season.

McGlone wrote her name in Eastern’s record books with 350 total rebounds (third), 58 blocks (third), 18 double-doubles (third) and 536 points (sixth). McGlone recorded 1,000 points at Eastern, making her the fourth Panther in program history to do so.

The Panther coach of the Year is going to Dan and Kristi Paulson from the softball team.

Within their first year as co-head coaches for the Panthers, the Paulsons led the team to their second straight OVC regular season championship.

Eastern ended the regular season with a 31-19 record, securing a big win over the University of Illinois.

Saturday, the softball team won the OVC Tournament for the second time in three years.

The Paulsons brought former Parkland College players Alisha Fredrick and Bryanna French to the program.

Throughout the season, the Paulsons coached 2025 OVC co-Player of the Year Kendall Grover and 2025 Pitcher of the Year McKenzie Oslanzi.

Along with Grover and Oslanzi, three other players were named to the All-OVC First Team; Morgan Hance, Karson Davey and Karlie McKenzie.

Abbey Crain was named to to the All-OVC Second Team, and Hance and Abbi Hatton were named to the All-Newcomer Team.

Zaria Flippin can be reached at 581-2812 or at zhflippin@eiu.edu.