MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Milwaukee baseball's Joe Vyskocil and Cleveland State's Anna Brandt were named the 2020-21 Cecil N. Coleman Medal of Honor award-winners, announced by the Horizon League on Wednesday afternoon.
 
The Coleman Medal of Honor, first awarded in 1981, is the Horizon League's most prestigious individual honor. The award is presented annually to the top male and female student-athletes who demonstrate outstanding achievement in academics, athletics, and extracurricular activities.
 
Vyskocil is the 11th Milwaukee Panther to earn the Cecil N. Coleman Medal of Honor and first for MKE since Nate Pozolinski in 2017.
 
"I am honored to receive this award, as it has been a privilege to represent not only the Panthers, but also the Horizon League," Vyskocil said. "Being a Panther has left a lasting mark on my life and I truly cherish the opportunity I had to compete for Milwaukee."
 
Vyskocil put the finishing touches on an impressive career as he was named to the Horizon League All-Academic Team for the third straight year. The biomedical engineering major was named to the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences Dean's Honors every semester eligible and graduated Summa Cum Laude with Commencement Honors in May 2020.
 
On the field, Vyskocil recorded 142 hits, 72 runs, and 85 RBI in 171 games. He totaled 22 doubles and 15 home runs, slugging .408. An anchor at first base, Vyskocil finished his career with 845 putouts and 53 assists with just eight errors, a .991 fielding percentage. He earned First Team All-League and Google Cloud Academic First Team All-District honors in 2019 after his best year for the black and gold when he slashed .330/.403/.527 with 67 hits, 40 runs scored, and 39 RBI.
 
Vyskocil has also been an active member in the community, volunteering with the YMCA Miracle League, Toys for Tots, Hope House Food Pantry, and more. He has been a voice on the Student Athlete Advisory Committee for the Panthers as well.
 
"Joe has worked his tail off since day one on campus and has done nothing but achieve," head baseball coach Scott Doffek said. "He sets his goals high and goes for it. He is always willing to go the extra little bit it takes without being asked."
 
Candidates for the Cecil N. Coleman Medal of Honor award must be seniors who have exhausted their eligibility and were participants in a Horizon League sponsored sport. Nominees must have a grade-point average of at least 3.00 on a 4.00 to be considered.
 
Finalists for the Coleman Medal of Honor are below:

Cleveland State – Anna Brandt, cross country/track & field and Nico Mostardi, men's tennis
Detroit Mercy – Kyri Jackson, track & field
Green Bay – Anna Liu, swimming & diving and Ben Gilles, men's golf
IUPUI – Kamryn Benscoter, women's soccer and Ethan Mardanus-Budiono, men's tennis
Milwaukee – Kyra Arendt, track & field and Joe Vyskocil, baseball
Northern Kentucky – Kayla Thompson, track & field and Felipe Hidalgo, men's tennis
Oakland – Autumn Kissman, women's basketball & Dan Rutan, baseball
Purdue Fort Wayne – Lorah Pund, women's soccer
RMU – Mirna Sirjanovic, volleyball and Kyle Grube, men's golf
UIC – Kayla Wedl, softball and Jacob Graiber, men's soccer
Youngstown State – Katlyn Shutt, women's golf and Collin Floyd, baseball