DES MOINES, IOWA — Grand View University's athletic communications and creative staff turned in one of the strongest showings in the Heart of America Athletic Conference's first-ever Heart Creative Awards, bringing home four of the eight total category winners and adding seven additional Top Finisher recognitions.

The Heart Creative Awards were established to celebrate excellence in storytelling and creative content across the conference, honoring the photography, videos, graphics, broadcasts, and digital work that help tell the stories of Heart student-athletes, coaches, teams, and institutions. Eligible entries included work published between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026, and were judged across eight categories spanning photography, video production, graphic design, and broadcasting.

Grand View's Award Winners

 

 

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Feature Video of the Year | Luis Helm | Helm's "Dare to Dream," a feature-length look at the story behind the 2025 Grand View men's soccer team, earned the win in this category.

Watch below!


 

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Game Day Graphic of the Year | Kyle Somers | Somers was recognized for his football Bye Week graphic.




































 

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Championship Graphic of the Year | Kyle Somers | Somers earned a second win, this time for a graphic celebrating the football team's NAIA National Championship.




































 

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Grand View's Top Finishers

Grand View's creative staff also earned recognition as Top Finishers in five of the conference's eight categories:
 

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Photo of the Year: Todd Bailey, for his photo of head coach EJ Peterson's Gatorade bath following the football team's NAIA National Championship.















 

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Highlight Video of the Year: Todd Bailey, recognized twice, once for a highlight video of the men's soccer team's national championship run, and again for a highlight video of the men's wrestling team's national championship.

Watch Below!

Soccer: https://viktorviking.smugmug.com/Athletics/2024-25-Athletics-Videos/Athletics-2025-26-videos/2025-26-/i-7zS8XBQ/A

Wrestling: https://viktorviking.smugmug.com/Athletics/2024-25-Athletics-Videos/Athletics-2025-26-videos/2025-26-/i-ZBWnV7S/A

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Feature Video of the Year: Todd Bailey, for "GK - Champion Sends a Message.

Watch Below!

https://viktorviking.smugmug.com/Athletics/2024-25-Athletics-Videos/Athletics-2025-26-videos/2025-26-/i-GcH97MV/A

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Broadcast Moment of the Year: Evan Wessling, for his play-by-play call of a walk-off home run in extra innings during a softball game.

Watch Below!

https://viktorviking.smugmug.com/Athletics/2024-25-Athletics-Videos/Athletics-2025-26-videos/2025-26-/i-dkFbBPn/A

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Student-Athlete/Coach Feature Graphic of the Year: Kyle Somers, recognized twice, for a feature graphic on Mayangelie Colon as a World Team member, and for a feature graphic on NAIA Football Player of the Year Jackson Waring.

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A Standout Year for Grand View's Creative Team

Between its four category wins and seven Top Finisher recognitions, Grand View accounted for eleven total honors in the Heart of America Athletic Conference's inaugural Heart Creative Awards. None of it would have been possible without the athletes and coaches who gave the creative team so much worth telling. Grand View had a year to remember, a men's soccer national championship, a men's wrestling national title, a football national title, and countless individual moments along the way. It took a program full of storylines like that, to produce a year like this at the inaugural Heart Creative Awards.


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