On Monday, Jan. 19, the Indiana Hoosiers defeated Miami 27-21 to win the NCAA National Football Championship and complete an undefeated 16-0 season. During the course of the game, Hoosier linebacker Isaiah “Bones” Jones recovered a blocked punt in the end zone for a touchdown to help lift his team to the first national championship in Indiana University football history.
On Saturday, June 27, Jones and fellow IU linebacker Jeff Utzinger were at Hartley Hills Golf Club in Hagerstown to support the 19th annual Brenda Gillam Memorial Scholarship Golf Tournament.
Proceeds from the event provided $1,000 college scholarships to student-athletes from Wayne County high schools. Thane Berger, a 2025 Northeastern graduate and a previous Brenda Gillam scholarship recipient, served as a football student manager for the National Champion Hoosiers and he helped arrange the visit from Jones and Utzinger with tournament director Tony Gillam.
There were six scholarships given this year and the names of the Brenda Gillam Scholars follow: Grace Smith (Lincoln HS), Jade Diamond (Richmond HS), Caleb Larsh (Northeastern HS), Logan Seal (Northeastern HS), Owen Burdette (Centerville HS) and Weston Jones (Richmond HS).
A version of this article appeared in the July 8 2026 print edition of the Western Wayne News.
