BURNSVILLE, Minn. – The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference announced the 11
th annual NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award winners Wednesday afternoon. Augustana was represented on the list with 17 student-athletes ranging from nine Viking sports.
The honor, named from the late NCAA President Dr. Myles Brand, is bestowed to senior NSIC student-athletes who have a cumulative grade point average of 3.75 or higher, exhausting their eligibility and are on track to graduate.
Augustana's Myles Brand All-Academic Distinction Award Winners:
Name Sport Hometown Major
Grace Bender Soccer Brandon, S.D. Nursing
Hana (Metoxen) Beyer Basketball Apple Valley, Minn. Communication Disorders
Jared Campbell Baseball Rochester, Minn. Computer Science
Kendall Cornick Softball Mason City, Iowa Biology
Jon Gubbrud Football St. Paul, Minn. Biology
Hannah Hankinson Golf Edina, Minn. Nursing
Abby Hora Basketball Viborg, S.D. Nursing
Alek Keegan Football Black Hawk, S.D. Biology
Ben Kelvington Wrestling Jordan, Minn. Biochemistry
Emma Miller Swimming Papillion, Neb. Biology
Bailey Neises Wrestling Howard, S.D. Athletic Training
Matt Pohlmann Track & Field Harrisburg, S.D. Biology
McKayla Poppens Golf Tea, S.D. Biology
Morgan Rothschadl Track & Field Tabor, S.D. Biochemistry
Charlie Schwartz Football Mankato, Minn. Physics
Sydney Weber Golf Parkston, S.D. Biology
McKenzee Zilverberg Basketball Highmore, S.D. Biology
Each student-athlete will be recognized by the NSIC with a certificate of achievement and a wristwatch. A record number 194 student-athletes from the NSIC's 16 institutions will receive the award in its 11th year, 38 more than last year's record of 156.
"I am filled with pride on how our student-athletes in the NSIC continue to excel in the classroom, in the community and on the playing field," said NSIC commissioner Erin Lind. "We continue to increase the number of student-athletes that have earned the Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award, which is a testament to the dedication of the student-athletes, coaches and administrators in our league.
"These are characteristics in which Dr. Myles Brand emphasized. I am extremely proud of all these student-athletes for their devotion to their universities, the NSIC and to their personal academic and athletic goals. I have no doubt these student-athletes will continue to achieve success in life well beyond the classroom and the competition venues."
About Dr. Myles N. Brand
Dr. Myles N. Brand, visionary leader, educator and reformer, served as the President of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) from 2003-2009. He passed away in September 2009 at the age of 67 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Brand presided over passage of the most comprehensive academic reform package for intercollegiate athletics in recent history – a package that refocused the attention of student-athletes, coaches and administrators on the education of student-athletes. Brand also changed the national dialog on college sports to emphasize the educational value of athletics participation and the integration of intercollegiate athletics with the academic mission of higher education. His impact on Division II ran deep by implementing an identity campaign and a strategic-positioning platform tied to specific divisional attributes. He challenged Division II to continue its game environment and community engagement focus, and improve academic success rates.
