Release courtesy of the MIAC
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – For the sixth consecutive year, the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) has honored a record number of fall sport student-athletes with Academic All-Conference recognition.
A total of 409 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 2017 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 sixth 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 and 380 last year.
Each individual fall sport also saw its total number of Academic All-Conference student-athletes increase in 2017. Women’s soccer had the most honorees with 95 (87 in 2016), and football was a close second with 88 student-athletes honored (83 in 2016). Men’s soccer had 68 honorees (62 in 2016), women’s cross country had 62 (59 in 2016), volleyball had 56 (54 in 2016) and men’s cross country had 40 (35 in 2016).
MIAC Academic All-Conference teams are announced twice annually, after the completion of both the fall and spring academic semesters. The MIAC Winter/Spring 2017-18 Academic All-Conference selections will be announced in late June. The MIAC has an online archive of Academic All-Conference honors.
Here is the complete list of Gustavus student-athletes to receive Academic All-Conference:
Men’s Cross Country (4)
| Benjamin Madigan | Gustavus | Jr. | Kohler, Wis. |
| Ryley Sandberg | Gustavus | Sr. | Alleman, Iowa |
| Alex Wischnack | Gustavus | Jr. | Norwood, Minn. |
| Andrew Wischnack | Gustavus | Jr. | Norwood, Minn. |
Women’s Cross Country (5)
| Hayley Anderson | Gustavus | So. | Eden Prairie, Minn. |
| Sarah Anderson | Gustavus | So. | Roseville, Minn. |
| Olivia Crocker | Gustavus | Sr. | Big Lake, Minn. |
| Lydia Hayes | Gustavus | Sr. | Decorah, Iowa |
| Gabriela Passmore | Gustavus | So. | Mapleton, Minn. |
Football (7)
| Jamison Beulke | Gustavus | Jr. | Montgomery, Minn. |
| Casey Decker | Gustavus | Sr. | Mapleton, Minn. |
| Jordan Grovum | Gustavus | So. | Cottage Grove, Minn. |
| Jakob Krull | Gustavus | So. | Plymouth, Minn. |
| Brice Panning | Gustavus | So. | Hamburg, Minn. |
| Jack Sorenson | Gustavus | Jr. | West St. Paul, Minn. |
| Tanner Sparrow | Gustavus | Jr. | Edina, Minn. |
Men’s Soccer (10)
| Daniel Barnes | Gustavus | Jr. | Lund, Sweden |
| Matthew Bateman | Gustavus | Jr. | Savage, Minn. |
| Cody Billins | Gustavus | So. | Farmington, Minn. |
| Joseph Brandel | Gustavus | So. | St. Louis Park, Minn. |
| Luke Laurich | Gustavus | So. | Batavia, Ill. |
| Matthew Murakami | Gustavus | Sr. | Eden Prairie, Minn. |
| Matthew Ouren | Gustavus | Jr. | North Mankato, Minn. |
| Davis Petros | Gustavus | Jr. | Apple Valley, Minn. |
| Bradley Williams | Gustavus | Sr. | Andover, Minn. |
| Alexander Wilson | Gustavus | Sr. | Ashland, Wis. |
Women’s Soccer (8)
| Emily Hilk | Gustavus | Sr. | Waconia, Minn. |
| Sophie Leininger | Gustavus | Sr. | Plymouth, Minn. |
| Josie Mazzone | Gustavus | Sr. | Rapid City, S.D. |
| Chaselyn Miller | Gustavus | Jr. | Brooklyn Park, Minn. |
| Abby Mullenbach | Gustavus | So. | Lakeville, Minn. |
| Emily Odermatt | Gustavus | Sr. | Minneapolis, Minn. |
| Hannah Sturtz | Gustavus | Sr. | Plymouth, Minn. |
| Lucy Thompson | Gustavus | So. | Edina, Minn. |
Volleyball (4)
| Hanna Albers | Gustavus | Jr. | St. Louis, Mo. |
| Nora Holtan | Gustavus | Jr. | Rochester, Minn. |
| Abilene Leitch | Gustavus | Sr. | Mankato, Minn. |
| Brittany Luethmers | Gustavus | Jr. | Prior Lake, Minn. |