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.  

Phoenix's (AZ) Brianna Hardy has been named the 2020-21 Betty Jo Graber NJCAA Female Student-Athlete of the Year. 

A standout two-way player on the Bears' softball team, Hardy led Phoenix to win the 2021 NJCAA Division II Softball Championship title in May at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, AL.  The Bears put together an incredible seventh-inning comeback against Jones (MS), scoring three runs with two outs to take the lead and clinch the title.  Hardy pitched the full seven innings in the national final game, leaving the circle with eight strikeouts.  At the national tournament, Hardy earned Most Valuable Player honors.

During the regular season, Hardy's pitching resume will be remembered as one of the most dominant seasons in NJCAA softball history.  The sophomore earned 32 wins and one save inside the circle throughout Phoenix's 45-game schedule.  Hardy led the NJCAA in six major pitching categories including wins (32), complete games (27), shutouts (14), strikeouts (325), strikeouts per game (12.10), and earned run average (1.08). 

Hardy's historic season was honored with accolades including NJCAA Division II Softball First All-America,  National Fastpitch Coaches Association NJCAA DII National Pitcher of the Year, and Arizona Community College Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year. 

Mineral Area's (MO) Malevy Leons has been named the 2020-21 David Rowlands NJCAA Male Student-Athlete of the Year. 

A native of the Netherlands, Leons led the Cardinals' men's basketball team to a 24-1 overall season record.  The sophomore averaged 18.7 points per game and 9.7 rebounds throughout the 2020-21 season, including six double-doubles and 10 games with 20-plus-point performances. 

Mineral Area was the No. 20 ranked team in the 2020-21 NJCAA DI Men's Basketball preseason poll. With Leons as a strong presence on the court, the Cardinals quickly climbed to a top-five ranking a few weeks into the season.  After reaching the 15-win mark in mid-March, Mineral Area reached its highest ranking of the season at No. 2 where it would remain for the final three weeks of the season.

The Cardinals earned the No. 1 overall seed in the 2020-21 NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship in Hutchinson, KS.  In two games at the national tournament, Leons averaged 20 points, with a 58.7 field goal percentage, 10 rebounds, and three blocks per game.  

Leons' successful season also earned NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Player of the Year, First Team All-America honors, National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Two-Year Player of the Year, and NJCAA Region 16 Player of the Year recognition. 

The six-foot, nine-inch forward has signed a letter of intent to continue his academic and athletic careers at Bradley University in the NCAA Division I Missouri Valley Conference next year. 

Johnson County's (KS) Gracelyn LaForge has been named the 2020-21 Lea Plarski Award winner, given annually to the NJCAA student-athlete who best exemplifies sportsmanship, leadership, community service, academic excellence, and athletic ability.

As a two-year starter on the Cavalier's volleyball team, LaForge excelled on the court, in the classroom, and in the community.  Voted by her peers as a team captain, LaForge was instrumental in Johnson County claiming the 2020-21 NJCAA Division II Volleyball Championship title.  In the national title match, the fourth-seeded Cavaliers defeated No. 1 Parkland in four sets.  A consistent force on the front row, LaForge posted seven block assists, nine kills, and a .316 hitting percentage in her final contest with Johnson County.

LaForge started in all of Johnson County's 29 matches this season, averaging 2.59 kills per set, a .359 hitting percentage, and 0.75 blocks per set.  These season efforts earned the outside hitter First Team All-America honors. 

LaForge's distinct leadership abilities and dedication on the volleyball court carried over to her efforts in the classroom.  As an occupational therapy major, LaForge earned a 3.83 cumulative grade point average at Johnson County.  In a demanding curriculum that is best known for the preparation provided to students who enter the workforce after graduation or transfer to a four-year institution, LaForge earned a perfect 4.00 GPA during multiple terms.

The passion for occupational therapy that LaForge possesses in the classroom is evident in the actions she takes within the community.  LaForge has dedicated time in her busy schedule to volunteer at a preschool, assisting children with special needs with development.  With compassion for others, LaForge spent time during the summer of 2020 fundraising for and distributing packages to those in her local community that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted. 

Next year, LaForge will transfer to NCAA Division II Rockhurst University in Kansas City, MO to continue her academic and athletic careers as a member of the Hawks' volleyball team.