Former Elgin Community College women’s basketball player Cassie Dumoulin is the 2012 recipient of the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Lea Plarski Award, named after the association’s first female president.

The annual honor is given to a student-athlete who best exemplifies sportsmanship, leadership, community service, academic excellence, athletic ability, and achievements—core values that are promoted by the NJCAA.

“It means a great deal to me,” said Dumoulin, of Hampshire. “It’s a very elite award and it’s a testament to all the people who have made an impact in my life and made me who I am today. I’m completely honored to win an award named after a woman that has done so much for athletics and made it possible for me to continue my athletic career.”
Dumoulin has led the Spartans in scoring during the past two seasons.
As a freshman, she ranked fourth in Division II in scoring with 22.9 points per game and was a NJCAA third team All-American selection. During her sophomore year, Dumoulin ranked fifth in Division II in scoring with 22.0 points per game and was a NJCAA second team All-America.
The two-time Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Year ultimately finished her ECC career with 1,393 points—the only ECC basketball player, male or female, to score 1,000 career in the college’s history.
“This is as proud as I’ve been as a head coach for any player,” Jerry McLaughlin, ECC wmen’s basketball coach said. “This is special because it’s an award that embodies academic achievement, athletic achievement, volunteer work, community service and leadership on and off the floor.”
Off the court, Dumoulin was able to translate her success to the classroom where she earned a 4.0 grade-point average and membership in the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.
She also found time between her academic and athletic commitments to give back to the community, being involved in several community service projects like the American Cancer Society Relay For Life, Feed My Starving Children, and the basketball team’s fundraiser for The V Foundation.
“It is so important to give back to your community,” says Dumoulin, who will attend the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign this fall.
“Everyone is given gifts and talents that you’re supposed to use and not just for yourself, but also to help others. There are certain things that I am able to do and it’s only right for me to share them with others.”