The ultimate leader. The list of accolades for Chris Hawn is long but being coined as the ultimate leader and captain by their coach may top that list. Hawn came to Beloit College by way of Ruidoso, New Mexico in the fall of 2005 and their impact was immediate.
A standout two-sport athlete, Hawn led the Buccaneers to six Midwest Conference tournament appearances during their illustrious career including four for volleyball and two for women’s basketball. On the volleyball court, Hawn was known to play with a tenacity few could match according to the script from senior night in 2008. The dynamic outside hitter earned All-MWC honors on two occasions leading Beloit to a 2006 Midwest Conference Tournament title and NCAA berth. Hawn holds top five marks for kills in a match in a season, kills per game in a season and career kills during the 2001-07 scoring era. Despite the physical and athletic prowess that allowed Hawn to dominate on the floor, the intangibles stood out even brighter to former Head Volleyball Coach Dawn Redd. “Chris was a bridge from the team that made it to the NCAA tournament in 2006 and the team that made it in 2010,” said Redd. “While they weren’t on the 2010 team, Chris’ influence on those young players that did make it was impactful. Chris taught them to work hard, to overcome obstacles, and most importantly, they taught them how to enjoy competing.”
That impact would hold true for their time on the women’s basketball squad as Hawn was named the Midwest Conference Player of the Year as a senior in addition to three all-conference selections during their career. A staple at the guard position, Hawn recorded seven double-doubles and ranked among the top eight in five statistical categories in the league in their senior campaign alone. Hawn still holds the program record for rebounds in a season and is ranked second for career rebounds. Hawn eclipsed the 1,000 career point milestone with a career-high 32-point performance against Carroll in 2009. That performance ranks fifth for points scored in a game in program history.
“With an engaging personality and non-stop work ethic, Chris was the ultimate leader and captain for their teammates,” added Coach Redd. Those intangibles coupled with the athletic dominance on the court, it was no surprise that Hawn was honored as a top senior student-athlete as the recipient of the Ruth C. Peterson Award in 2009.
Hawn graduated from Beloit College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Ecology, Evolutionary and Behavioral Biology and went to receive a Ph.D in Zoology/Animal Biology from North Carolina State University. Joining the ranks in higher education, Hawn continues to have a lasting positive influence on others.
