CLEVELAND, Ohio – University of Toledo baseball player Chris Meyers and women's swimmer Emma Sampson have been awarded the MAC Medal of Excellence, the league office announced Monday.

The MAC Medal of Excellence is presented annually to one male and one female student-athlete from the graduating class of each of the 12 Conference member institutions. Per the MAC, the individuals selected for the Medal of Excellence have distinguished themselves academically, athletically, and through demonstrated service and leadership.

Meyers graduated this spring with a bachelor's degree in finance with a minor in marketing carrying a cumulative grade point average of 3.644. Sampson also graduated this spring with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, finishing her collegiate career with a cumulative GPA of 3.879.

The 2021 MAC Player of the Year, Meyers tied the program's single-season home run record this season with 15, and he led the conference in homers, RBIs (55) and batting average (.378) to become the league's first Triple Crown winner since 1998. Meyers was also named Third-Team All-America by Collegiate Baseball, the program's first All-American since 2018.  

"Chris continues to rack up the rewards after his amazing season," Toledo baseball head coach Rob Reinstetle said. "His prowess on the baseball field is well-documented, but Chris was also our team captain and such a great leader. He made those around him better. In the classroom, he is an exceptional student and excelled in that area too. Chris is so deserving of this award because it embodies everything that a true student-athlete is."

Sampson is a three-time Academic All-MAC selection and served as president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) for the 2020-21 academic year, after serving as vice president the year before. She was also a member of the MAC's Council of Student-Athletes, and she was selected to represent the league at the 2020 NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum. Sampson competed at MAC Championships in all four years as a swimmer at Toledo, and this past season she was among the fastest on the team in the 100 breaststroke (1:08.34), 200 breaststroke (2:31.92), and 200 IM (2:11.17).

"Emma is a prime example of a student-athlete who took full advantage of all the opportunities college presented to her," Toledo women's swimming and diving head coach Brie Globig said. "Her commitment to Toledo Athletics in multiple facets and her engineering degree was inspiring. Her passion has set a standard for our program that we will work to maintain. Her presence in our program will be sorely missed next year, but I'm happy to add her to our alumni family."