Release courtesy of BJ Pickard, MIAC Assistant Commissioner
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – For the seventh consecutive year, the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) has honored a record number of fall sport student-athletes with Academic All-Conference recognition. Gustavus has 40 student-athletes on the list.
A total of 427 student-athletes from the 13 MIAC institutions earned the prestigious honor this year after meeting all sport-specific athletic requirements and possessing a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or better on a 4.0 scale following the fall semester. To be eligible for the award, student-athletes must be a sophomore, junior or senior with at least one year (two semesters) at their current institution. Athletically, student-athletes in fall team sports (football, volleyball, soccer) must compete in 50 percent of their team’s regular-season varsity contests. Cross country student-athletes are required to finish in the overall top 100 or their team’s top seven at the 2018 MIAC Cross Country Championship. Between the on-field component and lofty GPA standard, the MIAC Academic All-Conference honor is a perfect blend of the balanced excellence championed by the MIAC and NCAA Division III.
This is now the seventh year in a row the total of Fall Academic All-Conference honorees has increased. In 2011, 301 student-athletes were recognized with Academic All-Conference distinction. That number rose to 330 in 2012, 334 in 2013, 356 in 2014, 357 in 2015, 380 in 2016, and 412 last year.
Football had the most honorees with 98, up nine from last season’s 89. Women’s soccer was not far behind with 94, one fewer than the sport record of 95 in 2017. Men’s soccer had 67 honorees (68 in 2017), women’s cross country had 66 (62 in 2017), volleyball had 56 (58 in 2017), and men’s cross country had 46 (40 in 2017).
MIAC Academic All-Conference teams are announced twice annually, after the completion of both the fall and spring academic semesters. The MIAC Winter/Spring 2018-19 Academic All-Conference selections will be announced in late June. The MIAC has an online archive of Academic All-Conference honors.
Men’s Cross Country (5)
| Benjamin Madigan | Gustavus | Sr. | Kohler, Wis. |
| Bridger Pavelka | Gustavus | Jr. | Minnetonka, Minn. |
| Nathan Scruggs | Gustavus | So. | Mankato, Minn. |
| Andrew Stumbo | Gustavus | So. | Boone, Iowa |
| Alex Wischnack | Gustavus | Sr. | Norwood, Minn. |
Women’s Cross Country (4)
| Haley Anderson | Gustavus | Jr. | Eden Prairie, Minn. |
| Sarah Anderson | Gustavus | Jr. | Roseville, Minn. |
| Josie Blake | Gustavus | So. | Waukegan, Wis. |
| Gabriela Passmore | Gustavus | Jr. | Mapleton, Minn. |
Football (13)
| Noah Decker | Gustavus | So. | Mapleton, Minn. |
| Austin Fest | Gustavus | So. | West Des Moines, Iowa |
| Jordan Grovum | Gustavus | Jr. | Cottage Grove, Minn. |
| Michael Hensch | Gustavus | Sr. | North Branch, Minn. |
| Logan Holley | Gustavus | So. | Fort Worth, Texas |
| Jacob Krull | Gustavus | Jr. | Plymouth, Minn. |
| Brice Panning | Gustavus | Jr. | Hamburg, Minn. |
| Landon Rauen | Gustavus | So. | Zumbrota, Minn. |
| Nathan Schroepfer | Gustavus | So. | Sleepy Eye, Minn. |
| Kaleb Scott | Gustavus | So. | Gardena, Calif. |
| Jack Sorensen | Gustavus | Sr. | West St. Paul, Minn. |
| Tanner Sparrow | Gustavus | Sr. | Edina, Minn. |
| Charles Wachtler | Gustavus | So. | White Bear Lake, Minn. |
Men’s Soccer (6)
| Daniel Barnes | Gustavus | Sr. | Lund, Sweden |
| Cody Billins | Gustavus | Jr. | Farmington, Minn. |
| Joseph Brandel | Gustavus | Jr. | St. Louis Park, Minn. |
| Luke Laurich | Gustavus | Jr. | Batavia, Ill. |
| Davis Petros | Gustavus | Sr. | Apple Valley, Minn. |
| William Richards | Gustavus | Jr. | Hudson, Wis. |
Women’s Soccer (8)
| Lauren Johnson | Gustavus | So. | Woodbury, Minn. |
| Madeline McDermott | Gustavus | So. | Mendota Heights, Minn. |
| Chaselyn Miller | Gustavus | Sr. | Brooklyn Park, Minn. |
| Abby Mullenbach | Gustavus | Jr. | Lakeville, Minn. |
| Sophia Olson | Gustavus | So. | Minneapolis, Minn. |
| Katrina Rinke | Gustavus | Jr. | Waconia, Minn. |
| Erin Tiechroew | Gustavus | So. | Duluth, Minn. |
| Lucy Thompson | Gustavus | Jr. | Edina, Minn. |
Volleyball (4)
| Ellie Anderson | Gustavus | So. | St. Paul, Minn. |
| Kate Holtan | Gustavus | So. | Rochester, Minn. |
| Nora Holtan | Gustavus | Sr. | Rochester, Minn. |
| Brittany Luethmers | Gustavus | Sr. | Prior Lake, Minn. |