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Here are the SIAC Male and Female Athlete of the Year winners

kyle sokeland, evansville courier & press
·4 min read

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — The Class of 2022 stood out within the Southern Indiana Athletic Conference.

The group produced state champions and numerous collegiate athletes. It helped raise the bar at each of the member schools. But despite several quality choices, the conference determined two were worthy of its top award.

Connor Foley of Jasper and Natalie Niehaus of Castle were named the SIAC's Most Outstanding Athletes of the Year on Wednesday. The award is based upon athletic achievement, success in the classroom and work in the community.

Each member school was allowed to nominate just one male and female senior athlete.

MORE: Here is more on the SIAC Male and Female Athlete of the Year finalists

Jasper's Connor Foley (24) delivers a pitch to a Castle batter during the 2022 IHSAA 4A Baseball Sectional Championship game at Bosse Field Monday, May 30, 2022.
Jasper's Connor Foley (24) delivers a pitch to a Castle batter during the 2022 IHSAA 4A Baseball Sectional Championship game at Bosse Field Monday, May 30, 2022.

Foley was one of the top multi-sport athletes in the area. He earned first team All-SIAC as a senior in football, basketball and baseball. The Wildcats were a better team with Foley in the game.

"Super grateful and super blessed," said Foley. "It's a really cool award to win. (2022) was a really loaded class with so much depth and talent. A tough conference to compete in. I'm just super blessed to see the hard work pay off."

In football, he was an All-State tight end for the SIAC champions. His size and strength made for a matchup problem on the outside. Foley also led the basketball team in scoring (13.6), rebounds (8.3), blocks (1.1) and shooting (62 percent) while earning Honorable Mention All-State honors.

His future, though, is on the diamond. After helping Jasper win the Class 4A state championship as a junior, Foley became an all-around threat for the historic program. The 6-5 righthander struck out 86 batters in 54 innings with a 1.55 earned run average.

Jasper’s Connor Foley (45) takes a shot against North’s Cameron Gehlhausen (33) as the Jasper Wildcats play the North Huskies during the first round of the IHSAA Class 4A boys basketball sectional held at North High School in Evansville, Ind., Tuesday, March 1, 2022.
Jasper’s Connor Foley (45) takes a shot against North’s Cameron Gehlhausen (33) as the Jasper Wildcats play the North Huskies during the first round of the IHSAA Class 4A boys basketball sectional held at North High School in Evansville, Ind., Tuesday, March 1, 2022.

Foley hit .436 at the plate with a .538 on-base percentage for the sectional champions. He drove in 24 runs and only struck out 13 times. In the sectional championship win over Castle, Foley struck out 10 to send the game into extra innings.

He will attend Indiana University to play baseball. Foley also earned academic honor roll 11 out of 12 semesters in high school. Although there were thoughts of choosing one sport – he didn't play football as a sophomore – he had no regrets representing his high school year round.

"The senior year made up for it all," said Foley. "I'd love to go back and do it more. Playing three sports at Jasper was awesome. It's such a great feeling to have all that support behind you when you play. That's why I did it."

Castle’s Natalie Niehaus (4) attacks as the Castle Knights play the Jasper Wildcats during the 2021 IHSAA 4A Volleyball Sectional Championship game at Jasper High School Saturday evening, Oct. 16, 2021.
Castle’s Natalie Niehaus (4) attacks as the Castle Knights play the Jasper Wildcats during the 2021 IHSAA 4A Volleyball Sectional Championship game at Jasper High School Saturday evening, Oct. 16, 2021.

Niehaus elevated everyone around her no matter the sport. She earned first team all-conference in volleyball and basketball as a senior while leading the Knights to multiple championships.

In volleyball, she finished second on the team in kills (292) and digs (315). Many of her top matches from the fall came during the state tournament including a 14-kill, 12-dig effort to beat Roncalli in the semistate.

Her worth to Castle was evident in a state championship loss to McCutcheon. Niehaus severely sprained her ankle the morning of the match but attempted to play through the pain.

The injury never completely healed during her senior basketball season. However, Niehaus remained the best all-around player on the best team in the conference. She led the sectional champions in rebounds (5.9) and assists (3.1) while finishing third in scoring (9.1) and steals (2.5).

"There are so many great athletes in this conference," said Niehaus. "It's a huge honor to receive this award. I owe it all to teammates, coaches and especially my parents. Without them, I wouldn't be anywhere near where I am today."

Castle's Natalie Niehaus (32) goes up for a shot against Memorial’s Lydia Bordfeld (44) at Memorial High School Thursday night, Jan. 13, 2022.
Castle's Natalie Niehaus (32) goes up for a shot against Memorial’s Lydia Bordfeld (44) at Memorial High School Thursday night, Jan. 13, 2022.

Niehaus was at her best in critical moments or big games. She scored 17 points in the regional semifinal loss to Bedford North Lawrence but outplayed multiple Division I recruits for long stretches. She was the fourth in program history to score 1,000 career points.

Niehaus was a two-time National Honor Society member and four-time scholastic scholar. She plans to attend Southern Indiana to major in exercise science on the pre-occupational therapy track.

"One of the things I will remember the most is all the friends and people I've met," said Niehaus. "I've made some of my closest friends through sports and have made some of the best memories I will cherish forever."

The other finalists for the Male Athlete of the Year award were: Jameer Ajibade (Bosse), Jackson Mitchell (Castle), Alex Hooten (Central), Kalil Durden (Harrison), Brody Baumann (Mater Dei), Connor Agler (Memorial), Cameron Decker (North), Gavin Schippert (Reitz) and Coleton Pfoff (Vincennes Lincoln)

The other finalists for the SIAC Female Athlete of the Year were: A'maya Stone (Bosse), Olivia Moxley (Central), Madison Farmer (Harrison), Andi VanMeter (Jasper), Sophie Kleiman (Mater Dei), Jacqueline Brasseale (Memorial), Katie Pogue (North), Naomi Splittorff (Reitz) and Danielle Kroeger (Vincennes Lincoln).

Follow Courier & Press sports reporter Kyle Sokeland on Twitter @kylesokeland.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: 2021-22 Southern Indiana Athletic Conference Athletes of Year named