Wheaton, Ill. – The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) announced the recipients of the 2026 Chris Martin Perseverance Award this morning, bestowing the honor to Wheaton football player Jaxon Powell and Mara Walker of the Augustana women's swimming team. This marks the seventh year that the CCIW has recognized a student-athlete with the Chris Martin Perseverance Award, and Powell is the second Wheaton student-athlete to earn the honor since it was awarded by the CCIW in 2020. He joins 2024 recipient Annie Tate (women's basketball) as the two honorees from Wheaton.

Powell's nomination and reception of the award stems from complications he endured from a MRSA infection in his knee in August 2025. He later developed sepsis, septic arthritis in his shoulder and severe pneumonia. He was placed in a medically induced coma for two weeks and faced an extended recovery after losing more than 70 pounds of body mass and initially struggling with speech and movement. Powell has since returned to football activities and was recognized at Wheaton with the 2025 RESPECT Award for his character and leadership.

Jaxon recalls of what he endured in the fall of 2025, "I went from fighting for a starting spot to fighting for my life, but through every surgery, every painful step, and every unanswered question, Jesus saved me and carried me through what I never could have survived on my own."
  The Chris Martin Perseverance Award honors a student-athlete who demonstrates an unwavering commitment and perseverance to overcome a physical challenge in order to compete at the highest levels of CCIW athletics. Senior Woman Administrators at each CCIW institution brought forth nominations and voted for Tate to be the award recipient earlier this month. The CCIW Council of Presidents established the award in April 2019.
 
The award is named after Chris Martin, the first full-time commissioner of the CCIW serving in that role from 2002 through 2019. The award recognizes his legacy of perseverance enduring the challenges of a lifelong hearing disability and a highly accomplished tenure leading the CCIW through a period of growth and success.

North Park women's basketball player Sinead Molloy was the first recipient of the Chris Martin Perseverance Award in 2020. Gabrielle Coulthard of the Millikin women's volleyball program earned the second award in 2021, and Illinois Wesleyan softball player Hayley Earl was the honoree in 2022. The 2023 recipient of the award was Augustana women's bowler Delaney Walsh. Tate received the award in 2024 and Corey Phillips of the North Central men's track & field team was the honoree in 2025.