CHAMPAIGN, Ill. –Parkland College Athletics is pleased to announce its Parkland Cobras Athletes of the Year for the 2022-2023 academic school year. Sophomore volleyball player Kat Blase has been selected as Female Athlete of the Year, and sophomore baseball player Austin Gomm has been named Male Athlete of the Year. The two Cobras produced record-setting numbers for Parkland in 2022-23, both earning NJCAA DII First Team All-American and M-WAC First Team All-Conference honors.
 
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This past season, 2022-2023 Female Athlete of the Year Kat Blase helped lead the Parkland College Volleyball program to a 55-3 record and a Third-Place finish at the NJCAA DII National Championships. The Cobras won their 28th consecutive M-WAC conference title and their 15th straight Region 24 title, placing top-three at the NJCAA DII National Championship for their fifth season in a row. Blase led the country with 295 total blocks in 2022, earning NJCAA DII First Team All-American recognition, as well as NJCAA DII Region 24 Player of the Year, M-WAC Player of the Year, and M-WAC Female Athlete of the Year honors for a second straight time.
 
"Kat gave Parkland two amazing years both on and off the court," Parkland College Volleyball head coach Cliff Hastings said. "She's a rock star, and we are so thankful and proud of Kat and the growth she experienced here. I think Kat was the perfect example of what makes Parkland so great as she gave so much to Parkland, and she got so much from her time at Parkland as well."
 
Kat Blase, a sophomore middle hitter from Charleston, Illinois, led the nation in hitting percentage (44.9%) in 2022. Blase also ranked 2nd nationally in points (825), 3rd in blocks per set (1.77), and 6th in kills (580), averaging 3.47 kills per set (32nd in the country). The Charleston High School alum totaled 80 service aces (13th), and her 4.9 points per set were 11th most in the nation. In four matches at the national tournament, she recorded 50 kills, six aces, nine total blocks, and 61 points and was selected to the NJCAA Division II All-Tournament Team. Compared to her Cobras teammates, the Charleston High School alum led the team in kills, hitting percentage, blocks, blocks per set, total points, and points per set. Blase is the daughter of Nichole Woodall and Timothy Woodall.
 
 
This past season, 2022-23 Male Athlete of the Year Austin Gomm broke out in a record-setting way, launching the most home runs in a season in Parkland College baseball history (20). The Cobras finished with a 46-14 overall record and a 23-9 record in conference play, both their best since 2018, and Gomm led the team in runs, hits, doubles, home runs, batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. Gomm earned NJCAA DII First Team All-American recognition along with NJCAA DII Region 24 First Team and M-WAC First Team All-Conference honors.
 
"The one thing I really loved about Austin Gomm was the way he carried himself and handled his emotions throughout the course of the season," Parkland baseball head coach Zach Pych said of the All-American. "Whether he struggled or succeeded, his emotions and demeanor towards playing the game never changed. He never got too high and never got too low. He understood that this game revolves around failure, and I believe that is a big part of why he led the team in many offensive categories and helped us win a ton of ball games."
 
Austin Gomm, a sophomore infielder from Georgetown, Ontario, Canada, appeared in 56 games for the Cobras, ranking nationally in batting average (.455, 7th in the country), on-base percentage (.533, 25th), and slugging percentage (.906, 5th) in 191 at bats. In 227 plate appearances, Gomm produced 87 hits (11th nationally), 69 runs (28th), 22 doubles (13th), 173 total bases (8th), and his 20 home runs ranked 7th. Defensively, he recorded 55 putouts and 48 assists, recording a 92% fielding percentage, primarily at third base. The Christ the King Secondary School alum had a career day against Spoon River College on March 20th, going 3-3 with two home runs and six RBI, and the sophomore tied a career-high four hits in three games this season. Gomm is the son of Steve and Cathy Gomm. He graduated with an associate degree from Parkland College in the spring of 2023 and is continuing his athletic and academic career at Louisiana State University-Shreveport.