Colorado State University Athletics
Past Merrill-Gheen Award Winners
In 1958, T. Russell Merrill founded an annual award celebrating the most outstanding male scholar-athlete at Colorado State University. Merrill was the captain and 3rd baseman of the 1921 Colorado Agricultural College baseball team that won the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championship. Russell Merrill also was his senior class vice-president and member of the agronomy club and dramatic club. Merrill graduated in 1922 and in 1933 founded Merrill Farms in Salinas, California growing and packing produce.
Russell Merrill continued to support athletics at Colorado State and while visiting Denver for a reunion, died of a sudden heart attack in 1964. His family continued to support CSU after his death and in 1969 when Merril's' son-in-law, Joseph Gheen, suddenly died the family asked that his name should be added to the award. It has been continually awarded to the school's top male scholar athlete as the Merrill-Gheen Award since 1970.
Russell Merrill continued to support athletics at Colorado State and while visiting Denver for a reunion, died of a sudden heart attack in 1964. His family continued to support CSU after his death and in 1969 when Merril's' son-in-law, Joseph Gheen, suddenly died the family asked that his name should be added to the award. It has been continually awarded to the school's top male scholar athlete as the Merrill-Gheen Award since 1970.
MERRILL-GHENN AWARD WINNERS
| Year | Name | Sport |
| 2024-25 | Lars Mitchel | Cross Country/Track & Field |
| 2023-24 | Drew Thompson | Track & Field |
| 2022-23 | Isaiah Stevens | Basketball |
| 2021-22 | DeVon Washington | Track & Field |
| 2020-21 | Adam Thistlewood | Basketball |
| 2019-20 | Forrest Barton | Track & Field |
| 2019 | Wyatt Bryan | Football |
| 2018 | Nick Stevens | Football |
| 2017 | Josh Cogdill | Track & Field |
| 2016 | Tyler Schultz | Track & Field |
| 2015 | Jonathan Edmunds | Track & Field |
| 2014 | Christian Meyer | Cross Country/Track & Field |
| 2013 | Josh McMillin | Track & Field |
| 2012 | Jesse Carr | Basketball |
| 2011 | Eric Peitz | Football |
| 2010 | Ryan Friese | Track & Field |
| 2009 | Alex Godell | Track & Field |
| 2008 | Jeff Horinek | Football |
| 2007 | Alex Godell | Track & Field |
| 2006 | Nate Pettit | Golf |
| 2005 | Mike Nicks | Track & Field/Cross Country |
| 2004 | Martin Laird | Golf |
| 2003 | Brian Trainor | Track & Field |
| 2002 | Kurt Davies | Track & Field |
| 2001 | Jamie Bennett | Football |
| 2000 | Casey Malone | Track & Field |
| 1999 | Nate Kvamme | Football |
| Mike Newell | Football | |
| 1998 | Mike Newell | Football |
| 1997 | Chris Walker | Track & Field |
| 1996 | Greg Myers | Football |
| 1995 | Matt Phillips | Football |
| 1994 | Derek Yurosek | Football |
| 1993 | Matt Phillips | Football |
| 1992 | Steve Sawyer | Baseball |
| 1991 | Scott Stoll | Track & Field |
| 1990 | Keith Jiron | Tennis |
| 1989 | Rod Schreiber | Track & Field |
| 1988 | Joe Palic | Track & Field |
| 1987 | Peter Boes | Track & Field |
| 1986 | Terry Unrein | Football |
| Tim Zubradt | Football | |
| 1985 | Todd Benn | Basketball |
| 1984 | Don Haddad | Wrestling |
| 1983 | Mark Steele | Basketball |
| 1982 | Aaron Finch | Football |
| 1981 | Steve Fairchild | Football |
| 1980 | Rick Dennison | Football |
| 1979 | Jack Upton | Football & Baseball |
| 1978 | Jim Bryan | Baseball |
| 1977 | Robert Anderson | Wrestling |
| 1976 | Tery Larrew | Basketball |
| 1975 | Steve Jentzen | Wrestling |
| 1974 | Tim Williams | Wrestling |
| 1973 | Chris Adsit | Track & Field |
| 1972 | Chris Adsit | Track & Field |
| 1971 | Dale Maeding | Football |
| 1970 | Tim McGee | Wrestling |
| 1969 | Tom Kerstein | Baseball |
| 1968 | Wayne Lear | Swimming |
| 1967 | Daryl Youngstrum | Baseball |
| 1966 | Tom Vidakovich | Basketball |
| 1965 | Russ Mowrer | Football |
| 1964 | Terry Matthews | Football |
| 1963 | ? | |
| 1962 | Albert Kalei Apo, Jr. | Football |
| 1961 | ? | |
| 1960 | Larry Reitz | Track & Field |
| 1959 | William Potocnik | Football |
| 1958 | Howard Clark | Track & Field |