Wheaton, Ill. – The Wheaton Athletics Department was awarded a NCAA Division III Opportunity Grant this spring. Wheaton received the Division III Pathway to Excellence Grant, providing funding for two years for the department to create an entry-level athletics administration position. The Wheaton Athletics Department was notified of receiving the grant in late February. The grant was based on Wheaton's proposal to create an Athletics Communications/Athletics Operations Coordinator position.

Former Wheaton softball standout Paige Andrews has been named the new Athletics Communications/Athletics Operations Coordinator for the Thunder Athletics Department. In addition to this role, Andrews will continue to serve as an assistant coach for Wheaton Softball and head coach Amanda Fazzari. Andrews begins her new role on July 27 and will receive training at the NCAA Headquarters in early August. She also receives additional funding from the NCAA for professional development and will work with mentors for the program to enhance her work in intercollegiate athletics.

This year, NCAA Division III awarded twenty-nine NCAA Division III institutions and conference offices grants in the upcoming cycles of the Pathway to Excellence Grant (23 recipients) and the Strategic Alliance Matching Grant (six recipients). Committees consisting of membership representatives selected the recipients. The purpose of these grants is to encourage the access, recruitment, selection and long-term success of underrepresented individuals in Division III athletics administration and coaching.

Andrews earned her bachelor's degree in applied health science from Wheaton in May of 2024, and this May she received her master's degree in sports leadership from the Wheaton College Graduate School. Andrews joined the Wheaton softball coaching staff for the 2026 season and will remain on staff for the 2027 campaign where she will add the title of offensive coordinator to her role. She has worked in the Wheaton Athletics Department for four years total as an undergraduate and graduate student at Wheaton. During her time, she worked in the equipment room and athletics communications office, in addition to her role as an assistant coach.

In her role as Wheaton's Athletics Communications/Athletics Operations Coordinator, Andrews will serve many roles including gameday operations, gameday staffing/hiring and supervision of the Ryken's Rowdies student group. The position will also assist with coordinating Wheaton's sports camps, office organization and help coordinate hospitality at select events. Other tasks include coordinating information/content on Wheaton video boards and Chrouser Sports Complex TV monitors, coordination of photography and team media days, occasional maintenance of the Wheaton Athletics Website and utilization of select technology partners such as Rocket Alumni Solutions and WePlayed.

Andrews played five seasons of softball at Wheaton (2021-25) with All-CCIW awards in 2022 and 2023. As a senior in 2024, Andrews was the CCIW RESPECT Award recipient for the Wheaton softball team and also received the CCIW's Merle Chapman Award given to top members of each school's Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). 

She holds Wheaton softball career records for games played (180) and at bats (540). Andrews is fourth in team history with 45 career doubles, sixth all-time with 165 hits and her 93 career RBI ranks sixth in Wheaton history.