BURNSVILLE, Minn. – Winona State's Peyton Coahran and Sophia Taarud were named NSIC Honor Student-Athletes as part of the league's Britton/Kelly Awards.
 
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.
 
Coahran, a senior from Spicer, Minn. on the men's golf team, is majoring in Composite Engineering and holds a 3.76 cumulative grade-point average. On the course, Coahran recorded four first-place finishes and has placed in the top 10 in eight events while being the top ranked golfer in the NSIC and fifth in the region. Coahran helped lead the Warriors to a team title at the NSIC Championships, clinching a spot in the NCAA DII Men's Central/Midwest Regional next week.
 
Taarud, a graduate student from Farmington, Minn. on the women's cross country and track & field teams, holds a 4.00 in Performance Analytics. Taarud led the Warriors to both the NSIC and NCAA DII Central Region championships while winning the NSIC Championship individually and earning All-Region and All-America honors. Taarud and the Warriors capped off their tremendous cross country season with an 11th place finish at the NCAA DII Women's Cross Country Championships in their third consecutive championships appearance.
 
The 32 student-athletes nominated for the NSIC's two most prestigious awards will also be recognized as NSIC Male and Female Honor Student-Athletes of the Year at their respective institutions.