Charlotte, NC - The NJCAA Foundation has announced the inaugural winners of the Champion and Difference Maker Awards. These prestigious awards will be presented during the first-ever NJCAA Foundation Awards event, presented by the Nicole and David Tepper Foundation, held virtually on Thursday, June 24 at 6:30 PM ET / 5:30 PM CT.
The event will recognize the NJCAA Male and Female Student-Athletes of the Year, the Lea Plarski Award winner, the Champion Award winners, and the Difference Maker Award winner, in addition to the inaugural class of the NJCAA Hall of Fame.
To register for the free event and to learn more regarding the NJCAA Foundation Awards, visit: NJCAA Foundation Awards
The Champion Award was established to honor a member or former member of the NJCAA community who exemplifies resilience, excellence, and passion. For the first installment of the award, the NJCAA Foundation will recognize two student-athletes who made headlines during their time in the association for their perseverance and groundbreaking milestones.
Taquarius Wair, a former football student-athlete at Mesabi Range (MN), suffered from a traumatic experience at the age of four when his family home caught fire. Wair suffered third-degree burns that covered more than 55 percent of his body and the doctors gave him a 20 percent chance of survival. On the road to recovery, Wair spent one month in a coma and underwent countless surgeries and procedures, including skin grafts and reconstruction. One of his hands was no longer functional, and his fingers were reduced to stumps. As Wair's body continued to recover and he overcame the odds, he developed a love for football. After a few years of caution and struggles due to his body healing, while playing youth football, Wair became stronger and a force to be reckoned with on the field while still inspiring others with his character and determination.
As a running back with the Norseman, Wair played in seven of Mesabi Range's nine games during the 2019 season and averaged 7.1 yards per carry. Wair was the recipient of the Jimmy V Award for perseverance at the 2020 Espy Awards.
The second recipient of the Champion Award has been making history on the golf course for most of her athletic career. Known as "Amazing Amy", Paradise Valley's (AZ) Amy Bockerstette first came to fandom after playing a practice hole with Gary Woodland at the Phoenix Open in 2019. Bockerstette has been making history since becoming the first person with Down syndrome to compete in the Arizona High School Girls Golf Division I State Championship, the first person with Down syndrome to earn a collegiate athletic scholarship, and the first person with Down syndrome to compete in any national collegiate athletic championship. Bockerstette competed in the 2021 NJCAA Women's Golf Championship with the Pumas at the Plantation Bay Golf & County Club in Ormond Beach, FL in May.
Bockerstette's inspiration is more than just breaking barriers as her persona and character do the same thing. From the moment she famously said, "I got this," Bockerstette has captured the hearts of so many and continues to personify passion in everything that she does.
The NJCAA Foundation established the Difference Maker Award to honor a supporter of the NJCAA and the NJCAA Foundation in its endeavors to make a difference in the lives of student-athletes, two-year colleges, and their communities. The inaugural Difference Maker Award has been presented to Judy Rose.
Rose served as the Director of Athletics at UNC Charlotte (NC) for 28 years before her retirement in 2018. Known nationally as a trailblazer for women leaders in collegiate athletics, Rose was one of three female athletic directors of NCAA Division I programs at the time of her appointment in 1990. Rose became the first female to serve on the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee from 2000-2004. In March 2021, Rose was named the James J. Corbett Memorial Award Recipient by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), the highest honor one can achieve in collegiate athletics administration.
When the NJCAA National Office relocated to Charlotte, NC in 2018, Rose played an integral part in creating a strong presence for the association in the Charlotte community. Since the NJCAA Foundation was established, Rose has been instrumental in building the Foundation, including the efforts to assemble the inaugural NJCAA Foundation Board of Directors.
To see the members of the 2021 class of the NJCAA Hall of Fame, visit: Seven Inaugural NJCAA Foundation Hall of Fame Inductees Announced
For more on the NJCAA Foundation Awards event, visit: NJCAA Announces Inaugural Awards Event
To register for the free event and to learn more regarding the NJCAA Foundation Awards, visit: HERE
About the NJCAA Foundation
Established in 2018, the mission of the NJCAA Foundation is to enhance the NJCAA national organization, student-athletes, member colleges and local communities through financial support, scholarships, program initiatives and community service.