Patrick Lepper
John Wood Community College – Quincy, Illinois
2005-06 Lea Plarski Award
National Junior College Athletic Association

The National Junior College Athletic Association is proud to honor Patrick as the 2005-2006 Lea Plarski Award Winner. Patrick, captain of the men’s basketball team at John Wood Community College, exemplifies the qualities represented by the award: sportsmanship, leadership, community service and academic excellence, coupled with athletic ability and achievement. Patrick has taken part in numerous volunteer and leadership activities. He is involved with several organizations, including Jump Rope for Heart and Read-A-Kid-A-Book Month. He also volunteers as a basketball coach and official for the Catholic Youth Organization. In addition to his community and extracurricular activities, Patrick was an integral part of the John Wood men’s basketball team. As a freshman he led the Trail Blazers to a second-place finish in the Collegiate Conference of Central Illinois and was a third-team all-conference selection. Last season, Patrick was a first-team all-region and all-conference selection. He has left his mark on the John Wood record books, ranking fifth in career three-pointers with 125. All of Patrick's basketball accomplishments are especially impressive considering as a freshman in high school he was cut from the junior varsity team. Five years later, Patrick has signed an NCAA Division I scholarship with Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne where he will continue his basketball and academic career this fall.