Johnny Spevak, a 2005 graduate of Puyallup High School and currently attending Central Washington University is the 2009 recipient of the Dick Hannula Male Amateur Athlete of the Year Award. Born March 5, 1987, in Tacoma, Spevak expects to graduate with a degree in accounting in the fall after his senior football season.

At Puyallup High School, Spevak was a two-year letter winner in football, earning first-team all-SPSL honors as a quarterback and safety. At Central Washington University, Spevak has played wide receiver for the football team and guard for the basketball team. He ranks in the top 10 in CWU history in four major receiving categories, including touchdowns and receptions. With one year of eligibility remaining, he is on pace to challenge the school record in each category.

On the basketball court, Spevak has helped lead his team to a combined 56-17 record the last two seasons whenever he was in the lineup. He finished his basketball career with a better than 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio in 103 career games. His 39.1 percent three-point shooting percentage ranks eighth in school history.

Greg Sparling, CWU head men’s basketball coach described Spevak as a great defender and smart player. Sparling referred to Spevak as the “best two-sport athlete since I have been at Central (since 1989) and maybe in the history of the university.”

Spevak has received academic All-American honors, and is considered by Central Washington head football coach Blaine Bennett to be “ the hardest working player at practice, and this carries over to his unbelievable success on game day. He is a special young man and has the respect of his peers, coaches and opponents.”