JACKSONVILLE—Jacksonville State senior athletes Anna Warkel and Clay Webb were selected as the Eagle Owl Award winners for the 2024-25 academic year, announced by Vice President for Athletics Greg Seitz.
 
Warkel and Webb were announced as the winners at the Gamecock Choice Awards Monday night at the Pete Mathews Coliseum.
 
The Eagle Owl Award, which was established in 1994, is given each year to a male and a female senior athlete who possess outstanding qualities and excel in their sport.
 
Warkel becomes the second consecutive member of the Jax State bowling team to receive the honor, following Rebecca Hagerman last year. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa native has been a key contributor to the Gamecock bowling team which has an NCAA National Championship and a US Bowling Congress Intercollegiate Team Championship in its first two years of competition.
 
During the 2024-25 season, Warkel was a Third-Team All-Conference USA Selection and a National Tenpin Coaches Association Second-Team All-American. She also earned a spot on the ITC All-Tournament Team. Off the lanes, she carries a 3.97 GPA as a sport management major and is part of the Student Athlete Advisory Council.
 
Webb is the 14^th member of the Jax State football team honored with the Eagle Owl with the most recent honoree coming in 2023 in Stevonte Tullis. During his three years as a starter on the Jax State offensive line, Webb helped clear the way for some of the best rushing attacks in all of college football, earned a pair of conference titles, and the program's first FBS bowl game victory.
 
Jax State was third nationally last year in rushing yards per game at 251.2, largely in part due to Webb's dominance at guard. Pro Football Focus ranked him as the 10^th-best guard last season and was the ninth-best run blocker.
 
The Oxford native is a two-time All-American, a two-time All-Conference USA selection, a Walter Camp Preseason All-American, and was on the Lombardi and Outland Award watch lists. He also has drawn attention from the National Football League, drawing invitations to the Hula Bowl and the Reese's Senior Bowl along with the NFL Combine to showcase his abilities in hopes of hearing his name called during this weekend's NFL Draft.  
 
For a complete list of the school's all-time Eagle Owl Award winners, click here.