BURNSVILLE, Minn. – The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference announced the 17th annual Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award winners, and 19 Warriors received the honor.
The honor, named for the late NCAA President Dr. Myles Brand, is bestowed to NSIC academic senior student-athletes who have a cumulative grade point average of 3.75 or higher (student-athletes can only earn the award once).
The Warriors who received the award this year:
- Madeline Bersch; Soccer; Oak Creek, Wis.; Psychology
- Ally Burger; Tennis; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Movement Science
- Peyton Coahran; Golf; Spicer, Minn.; Composite Materials Engineering
- Madelynn Drasher; Soccer; Plymouth, Minn.; Elementary Education
- Bryn Elsenpeter; Softball; Maple Lake, Minn.; Individualized Studies
- Skylar Gary; Tennis; Olathe, Kan.; Sport Leadership
- Colton Geurink; Football; Wausau, Wis.; Biology
- Pierce Gritzmaker; Baseball; Woodbury, Minn.; Mathematics & Data Science
- Sadie Jarmolowicz; Basketball; Freedom, Wis.; Accounting
- Jaden Johnson; Softball; Erie, Ill.; Geoscience
- Kessa Mara; Golf; Willmar, Minn.; Biology
- Hailey Markwoth; Basketball; LaGrange, Ill.; Marketing
- David Nies; Football; Patch Grove, Wis.; Exercise Science
- Abigail Savatski; Volleyball; North Prairie, Wis.; Biochemistry & Spanish
- Joseph Staff; Football; Brookfield, Wis.; Business Administration
- Bellamy Sukalski; Track & Field; Marshall, Minn.; Biology
- Mara Talabac; Track & Field/Cross Country; Janesville, Wis.; Elementary Education
- Clara Thoemke; Tennis; Inver Grove Heights, Minn.; Community Health & Health Administration
- Jaci Winchell; Volleyball; Cannon Falls, Minn.; Nursing
"It is incredibly rewarding to see NSIC student-athletes continue to thrive academically, serve their communities, and compete at a high level," said NSIC Commissioner Erin Lind. "Those qualities reflect the principles championed by Dr. Myles Brand, and they remain at the heart of what we value in this conference. I am proud of the commitment these student-athletes show to their institutions, the NSIC, and their own academic and athletic pursuits, and I am confident their success will extend far beyond their time in competition."
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.
