CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Alyssa Olson and Zach Kammin have been named the 2018-19 Barron Bremner Outstanding Athletes at Coe College. They were officially announced at the 25^th Anniversary of the Barron Bremner Outstanding Athlete Award Ceremony, hosted in Kohawk Arena on Coe's campus Friday night, September 13, 2019. Coe College Alumni Curt Menefee '87, of Fox Sports, presented the awards as the master of ceremonies for this milestone event.

Olson was a 2019 All-American on the softball team, while Kammin was the 2019 American Rivers Conference pitcher of the year.
Kammin becomes the second winner from the baseball program joining 2009 winner Pat Richmond. Olson is the third straight softball player to win the award and is the 11^th softball player to win the award, the most by any female sport at Coe.

Olson was named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-American Third Team and was also an NFCA All-Midwest Region First Team selection. Additionally, she was a second team Google Cloud Academic All-American selection. She ranked 57^th in the nation with a 1.72 earned run average, 11^th in the nation with 9.1 strikeouts per game and tied for 12^th in the country with 20 wins for the 2019 season.

"Alyssa Olson saved her best year as a Kohawk for her senior season.  She was a workhorse in 2019, leading us in innings pitched, strike outs, wins, saves, ERA and opponents batting average. Watching Alyssa pitch, you never knew if she was ahead or behind, throwing well or struggling as her facial expression never changed - well, except when she made a hitter look pretty silly on a nasty change-up.  Her team looked to the circle for her leadership and never-ending support, even if we booted the ball behind her," Head Softball Coach Diane Meyer said.

In 2019, Olson led the American Rivers Conference in strikeouts with 62 in league play and tied for the league lead in in opponents' batting average at .215. She also tied for second in league play with seven wins and was fifth in earned run average at 2.58. Her 201 strikeouts were a career high, ranking 10^th in school history, and her 20 wins make her only the sixth pitcher in Kohawk history to record a 20 win season.

"Her individual honors in 2019 were awesome, but she was an even better teammate and dugout coach.  In 2019, Alyssa helped solidify her place as one of the best pitchers to ever wear Kohawk pinstripes. I'm just lucky that I had the honor and privilege to coach her for 4 years," Meyer concluded.
Kammin received 2019 All-Central Region First Team honors, while leading the Kohawks to their most successful overall record in school history (37-8). Kammin led the Kohawks to their deepest postseason run ever by pitching them to the 2019 Super Regionals and a 10^th place finish in the 2019 national polls.
 
"Like all great athletes, Zach's best performances came in games that mattered most, against the best teams, on the biggest stage. Throughout the conference season, Zach matched up against our opponents' top pitchers and led us to victories in every game. His consistency went un-matched, giving up 5 or less hits in all but two of his 13 starts throughout the year," Head Baseball Coach Steve Cook said.

As the top pitcher in the American Rivers Conference, Kammin went undefeated in conference play with a 6-0 record and finished 11-1 in 2019. A six-time Iowa Conference Player of the Week during the year, Kammin finished fourth in earned run average at 2.17, fifth in strikeouts with 40 and fourth in opponents' batting average at .190. He saved his best for last as he won two games at the NCAA regional in St. Louis with the second coming on one day's rest in the teams dramatic nine inning win for the Regional Championship.

"The heart and determination that he showed that day was something to witness," Cook said on Kammin's performance on the final day of the regional.
"As his coach, I'm most proud, however, of the drive and work ethic he used to help him come back from an elbow injury and Tommy John surgery after his sophomore year. Zach fought back for 20 months before starting his first game on opening day this past season. His belief in himself and his commitment to his teammates and coaches was truly special. For me, and I'm sure for Zach as well, that experience added special meaning to all that was accomplished this past spring. I'm excited for the opportunity to coach him one more season as he attempts to lead our group again in 2020," Cook concluded.

Lauren French from the women's tennis team and Darby Manternach from the women's swimming team were also finalists on the women's side. French earned Google Cloud Academic All-District honors, while also being named the American Rivers Conference MVP. The American Rivers Conference Flight A Singles and Doubles Champion, French earned all-conference honors in singles and doubles. French, who wrapped up her Kohawk tennis career this past year, finished with an impressive 21-1 career league singles record and an overall career singles record of 71-23. In doubles play, French ends her career with a 16-5 league doubles record and an overall career doubles record of 71-26. Manternach was a key member of the women's swim and dive team that won Coe's first Liberal Arts Championship this past winter. She was a part of the record breaking 400 freestyle relay team and broke a 25-year-old record in the 100-yard freestyle.
 
Taylor Mehmen from the wrestling team and Nolan Timp from the basketball team were also finalists on the men's side. Mehman earned All-American honors at 197 pounds last year, as he placed fifth at the NCAA National Championships. Earning All-Conference honors, Mehmen finished third at the NCAA Central Regional. Mehmen was named to CoSida's Google Cloud Academic All-District At-Large Team. Mehmen lead the Kohawks with 26 wins. Timp received American Rivers Conference first team honors in a career year in his final season as a Kohawk. Timp scored in double figures in all but two games with 20-point efforts in 11 games. He averaged 17.6 points, good for sixth in the conference, and 6.7 rebounds which was sixth in the conference.

This year's winners celebrated a quarter century of this award being bestowed upon the top male and female athletes at Coe College. Kammin and Olson join past winners and finalists in having made great contributions to Kohawk athletics. The Barron Bremner Outstanding Athlete Awards have been made possible by Life Trustee John Strohm and Mary Pat Link. John Strohm '79 and his wife, Mary Pat Link, have generously established an endowed fund to annually provide awards to the top three Coe female athletes and the top three Coe male athletes. John's sisters, Nina and Tara, are also 1979 Coe graduates. Their parents, Lloyd and Dorothy Strohm, are supporters of Coe activities. Nina Strohm's husband, John Golden, is a 1976 Coe graduate. Two of John and Mary Pat's children have graduated from Coe, Trustee Kristin Strohm in 2005 and Kelly Strohm Galbraith in 2013.

In the spring of each year, all head coaches at Coe nominate candidates for the award. From this slate of candidates, a committee votes to select the outstanding male and female athlete. The designation of "Outstanding Athlete" reflects achievement in athletics within the philosophy of NCAA Division III and is a fitting way to recognize the accomplishments of the young people nominated.  The award was renamed after Barron Bremner in honor of his many years of outstanding service to the college, its students and the community as a beloved coach and Athletic Director.