BURNSVILLE, Minn. – Augustana's Gracey Brink and Nick Banowetz have been named NSIC Honor Student-Athletes as part of the league's Britton/Kelly Awards announced Thursday. Brink completed her final campaign with the Augustana softball team while Banowetz concluded his final season with Viking baseball.
 
NSIC members nominate one female and one male student-athlete for the Britton/Kelly Awards and come from a criteria of a grade point average of 3.5 or better, evidence of academic excellence beyond the minimum GPA (scholarship prizes and other academic recognition), evidence of participation in the life of the institution, and evidence of participation in at least two-thirds of the varsity events of the individual's primary sport.

"Nick and Gracey are two great examples of Augustana student-athletes and the opportunities that exist here," said Vice President for Athletics Josh Morton. "Both were part of multiple championship teams on their way to earning their Augustana degree with distinction."
 
A native of Rapid City, South Dakota, Brink started all 65 games while primarily behind the plate. The NSIC Player of the Year and NFCA Second Team All-American hit .400 with a 1.243 OPS. She slugged 14 home runs and drove in 45 while scoring 59 runs and touting a .502 on-base percentage. 

Brink is a two-time CSC (formerly CoSIDA) Academic All-America First Team member, four-time NSIC Champion and two-time NFCA All-American. She concludes her career with a .366 average, 36 home runs and a .478 on-base percentage.

Banowetz, hailing from Robins, Iowa, hit .341 with 23 stolen bases while helping the Vikings to NSIC regular season and tournament championships. In two seasons he hit .346 with 99 runs scored in 114 games. 
 
The All–NSIC, Academic All-NSIC, and ABCA All-Region member won an NSIC regular season championship in both seasons as a Viking and finished eighth in program history with 59 steals. His 36 stolen bases in 2023 rank in the top five in program history.