CHARLESTON, Ill. Eastern Illinois Athletics has named Dino Fanti from football and Janie Howse from track as the 2016 EIU Male and Female Senior Athletes of the Year. The award, which has been presented since 2008, honors the top male and female senior EIU athletes based on both their career and senior season accomplishments. Five finalists were announced for each award at the EIU Academic/Athletic Honors Reception in May. The winners were voted on by a panel in late May. Fanti was named the EIU Male Senior Athlete of the Year after he helped will the Panthers into the FCS playoffs with two outstanding performances to close out the regular season. Fanti was named the co-OVC Defensive Player of the Year while earning three All-America team honors. He was a first team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association and named the College Football Performance Award Defensive Lineman of the Year. Fanti set the EIU single season record for tackles for loss at EIU in 2015 and became the Panthers career leader in tackles for loss finishing with 55. Fanti's performance over the final two weeks of the regular season earned him back-to-back OVC Defensive Player of the Week honors and one National Player of the Week accolade as he had 12 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and two forced fumbles in EIU wins that locked up a spot in the FCS playoffs. Howse was named the EIU Senior Female Athlete of the Year after concluding a record setting career as a thrower for the women's indoor and outdoor track teams. During her final indoor track season Howse set the school record in the indoor weight throw earning first team All-Ohio Valley Conference in the event. Her record setting throw was 62'3" coming at the OVC Indoor Championship meet. During the 2016 outdoor season Howse helped the Panthers win the OVC Outdoor Women's Track Championship scoring points in hammer, shot put and discus throw. She broke the 170' barrier twice in the hammer throw during the season setting the school record in her final home meet with a throw of 171'4". Howse finished her EIU career ranking in the career top ten for five indoor and outdoor throws events. The men's finalists for the EIU Senior Athlete of the Year included Fanti, Trae Anderson (basketball), Calvin Edwards (track), Kamu Grugier-Hill (football), Robert Skolik (tennis) and Demetre Taylor (baseball). The women's finalists for EIU Senior Athlete of the Year included Howse, Dhiaa Dean (track), Ali Foster (tennis), April Markowski (softball), Kaylee Morris (swimming). The EIU Male and Female Newcomer of the Year Awards were announced last week with Devin Church (football) and Taylor Smith (volleyball) winning this year's awards. Nick Smith of men's soccer was named the winner of the EIU Athletic Director's Award presented at the Academic/Athletic Honors reception in early May.