BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced Wednesday its Elite 22 Award winners and Gustavus Adolphus sophomore midfielder Sophie Leininger (Plymouth, Minn.) has been named the conference’s recipient of the honor for women’s soccer.
The MIAC Elite 22 Award recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the conference championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. Modeled after the NCAA Elite 90 Award, the MIAC Elite 22 Award is presented to the student-athlete with the highest grade point average (GPA) in each sport who meets similarly high, sport-specific athletic requirements.
“Sophie is an exceptional individual who has taken on a strong leadership role on our team,” Head Coach Laura Burnett-Kurie said. “She is incredibly academically focused and tries to be the best in every aspect of her life, and it shows. She puts so much time and effort into her volunteering, work, studies, family, soccer, and her personal development. I could not be more pleased for Sophie to be recognized with this prestigious award because she truly embodies what a student-athlete at Gustavus strives to be.”
Leininger is a political science/psychology double major with a women’s studies minor and currently holds a perfect 4.0 GPA. The sophomore midfielder helped the Gusties capture their first ever MIAC Playoff championship en route to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 18 years. After registering a team-high nine assists with one goal in 21 games started this season, Leininger was named All-Conference. The Wayzata High School product also helped lead Gustavus to a 13-7-1 overall record and an 8-3 mark in the league, which is greatest turnaround in program history after going 2-13-3 overall (1-8-2 MIAC) last season.