ST. PAUL, Minn. - During the final Athletics Chapel of the 2024-25 academic year, the University of Northwestern Athletic Department announced its 2025 Eagle Award winners. The Eagle Award is an annual honor given to a standout male and female student-athlete, voted on by the athletic department's coaching and administrative staff. This year's winners were Nick Drinken (Randolph, Minn./Randolph) (Baseball) and Elise Jarchow (Luverne, Minn./Luverne) (Women's Tennis).
The award is based upon criteria that includes: academic honors, athletic accomplishments, and ministry involvement. The Eagle Award is the highest honor bestowed by the UNW Athletic Department.
Nick Drinken (Randolph, Minn./Randolph) just wrapped up his fifth season with UNW Baseball and has been a strong leader both on the field and around campus. While working through his Pastoral Ministry degree and now his Master's of Divinity, he earned two UMAC First Team All-Conference honors and NCCAA First Team All-Region recognition in 2024, along with multiple Pitcher of the Week awards. Drinken finished his career with 19 wins, over 260 innings pitched, and 218 strikeouts, and is the third Northwestern Baseball player to win the award since its inception in 1995. Nick led Bible studies on campus and served in several ministry roles—now continuing that work as the Director of Ministries at Vertical Church. His time at UNW was marked by hard work, strong faith, and a heart for others.
Elise Jarchow (Luverne, Minn./Luverne) has also been a standout leader and competitor for the UNW Women's Tennis team. The fourth Women's Tennis recipient of the award, she led the team in singles wins this season and will graduate ranked fifth all-time in program history for total wins. A four-time All-Conference player and six-time Player of the Week, Elise played a key role in two UMAC team championships. Off the court, she's been just as impactful as she has earned multiple Scholar-Athlete honors, planning thoughtful team activities, and serving as a summer camp counselor. As a captain, Elise has led with joy, humility, and a strong work ethic, leaving a lasting impact on her teammates and the program.
Congratulations to Nick and Elise on earning the 2025 Eagle Award because of their great representation of the University of Northwestern Athletics during their time at UNW!
