On Monday evening, Franklin College student-athletes gathered for the Griz Choice Awards, an opportunity for the college's athletic programs to celebrate one another's achievements together. Once a small gathering years ago, the 2026 edition drew a standing-room-only crowd of students, coaches and other school and athletic department personnel to the Branigin Room.

In a year of notable performances, three Grizzlies were able to stand out and earn the top athletic department awards. Swimmer Kat Lundy received the Jenny Johnson Kappes Award as the top senior female student-athlete, baseball player Garrett DeHart was presented the Wil B. Nelp Award as the top senior male student-athlete and women's basketball junior Briley Munchel earned the Hunter Leadership Award.

Lundy, a native of Winchester, Indiana, capped her third and final season with the Griz women's swim and dive team by leading the way to the program's ninth consecutive HCAC title. She was named Swimmer of the Meet at the conference championships after winning three individual crowns (100- and 200-yard backstroke and 400 individual medley) and swimming on three first-place relays. Lundy also qualified for the NCAA Division III Championships, where she competed in the 100 and 200 backstroke. Graduating a year early this spring with a degree in neuroscience, Lundy won eight individual HCAC championships in three years.

Lundy said she was "shocked and excited" about winning the award and getting to share the stage with Kappes, who athletic director Lance Marshall called the greatest athlete in Franklin College history.

"It's actually insane," Lundy said. "She's adorable. I'm really grateful; it's really awesome."

DeHart, who grew up in Smyrna, Georgia, is in the process of wrapping up a decorated baseball career that saw him earn first team All-HCAC honors in both 2024 and 2025. A part of the Grizzlies' conference championship team in 2023, he has scored 115 runs and driven in 105 so far in his Griz career entering this week's HCAC tournament. A marketing major, DeHart is also president of the FC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

"I don't really think there would be a better thing to put a bow on it," DeHart said of winning the award. "It's definitely a nice personal honor; literally couldn't be more grateful. But yet again, we've still got games coming up, so that's what we're really getting prepared for."

Munchel helped steer Griz women's basketball — which was picked sixth in the HCAC preseason poll — to a runner-up finish in both the regular season and the conference tournament, securing the program's first 20-win campaign since 2013. The point guard, who majors in exercise science, averaged 7.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and a team-high 3.7 assists while starting all 28 games and leading Franklin in minutes played.

With one year left, Munchel feels a need to raise the bar again in her senior season.

"I feel like it makes expectations even higher than what they are," Munchel said. "It's kind of like you got it your junior year, so you're going to get it your senior year. Hopefully I will."

Additionally, senior cross country and track runner Samuel Wilson and senior women's volleyball player Hannah Phegley were honored with the men's and women's Top Scholar awards, and about three dozen other athletes were inducted into Chi Sigma Alpha, the academic honor society for student-athletes.