CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – The 2023 Midwest Independent Conference held the MIC Conference Championship Banquet on Thursday evening at the Drury Plaza Hotel in Cape Girardeau, Mo. 
 
The banquet highlighted the teams' accomplishments for the 2023 regular season, including seven individual awards that were presented by Southeast Missouri State's Athletic Director, Brady Barke. 
 
In addition to the individual awards, each senior athlete from all five teams were recognized for their accomplishments as well as scholar-athletes, who achieved a GPA of 3.25 or higher in the classroom this season. 
 
Two of the seven individual awards were presented to the Assistant Coach(es) and Head Coach of the Year. 
 
Texas Woman's Kristen Harold and Matt DeGrandpre were selected as the Assistant Coaches of the Year by the MIC Head Coaches. 
 
The 2023 Head Coach of the Year was presented to Southeast Missouri's Ashley Lawson who won the award for the third time in her career at SEMO. 
 
The Sylvia Keiter Award honors the MIC Gymnast who best represented former TWU Gymnast, Sylvia Keiter who tragically passed away, who best represented the characteristics of work ethic, dedication, encouragement, loyalty, selflessness, and leading by example. 
 
Centenary's Emma Lavelle was the 2023 Sylvia Keiter Award recipient. 
 
The next award honored the MIC Newcomer of the Year and was given to Illinois State's Nirel Bart-Williams who earned three MIC weekly awards during the 2023 season. 
 
The MIC Woman of the Year was given to the gymnast who had been a part of her team for three or more years, accumulated a minimum of a 3.25 GPA, and had a positive impact on her team and community throughout her time as a gymnast. 
 
The Woman of the Year award was presented to Gayla Griswold of Lindenwood. 
 
MIC Senior Athlete of the Year was presented to Texas Woman's Alix Pierce as she holds the highest national qualifying score ranking for the Pioneer on floor and beam. 
 
The final award was the MIC Athlete of the Year. The award was presented to Illinois State's Angelica Labat who had the highest All-Around score in the conference with a 39.400, Additionally, she was named the MIC Gymnast of the Week three separate times in 2023. 
 
The MIC Conference Championship will take place on Friday, March 17, at Houck Field House in Cape Girardeau, Mo. with the competition slated to begin at 5 p.m., CT. 

AWARD WINNERS:
Assistant Coach of the Year: Kristen Harold & Matt DeGrandpre (Texas Woman's)
Head Coach of the Year: Ashley Lawson (Southeast Missouri)
Sylvia Keiter Award: Emma Lavelle (Centenary)
MIC Newcomer of the Year: Nirel Bart-Williams (Illinois State)
MIC Woman of the Year: Gayla Griswold (Lindenwood)
MIC Senior Athlete of the Year: Alix Pierce (Texas Woman's)
MIC Athlete of the Year: Angelica Labat (Illinois State)