St. Peter, Minn. – The Gustavus Adolphus Department of Intercollegiate Athletics hosted the Second Annual Senior Athlete Banquet on Thursday, May 29 in the Three Crowns Room of the Jackson Campus Center. More than 90 senior student-athletes were honored and the major senior award winners for the 2013-14 school year were announced. Highlighting the morning’s awards section was running back Jeffrey Dubose (St. Paul, Minn.) and swimmer Alissa Tinklenberg (Willmar, Minn.) who were named the 2013-14 Male and Female Senior Athletes of the Year.
Male Senior Athlete of the Year – Jeffrey Dubose, Football, St. Paul, Minnesota
Jeffrey Dubose took home the honor of Male Senior Athlete of the Year after putting together one of the best seasons ever had by a running back in Gustavus football history. Dubose literally re-wrote the Gustavus football rushing records in his final campaign donning a winged helmet. He earned a place on the All-Conference First Team for the second straight season, was named a D3football.com All-West Region First Team honoree, and garnered a spot on the D3football.com All-America Honorable Mention Team. This season, he scored 24 rushing touchdowns and ran for a school-record 1,459 yards on 265 carries – averaging 5.5 yards per carry and 145.9 yards per game. Dubose finishes his Gustavus career as the program’s all-time leader in rushing yards with 3,419 and rushing touchdowns with 41.
Other finalists for the award included track and field athlete Cameron Clause (Mankato, Minn.), hockey player Corey Leivermann (North Mankato, Minn.), and tennis player Mya Smith-Dennis (Savage, Minn.).
Female Senior Athlete of the Year – Alissa Tinklenberg, Swimming & Diving, Willmar, Minnesota
Already the most decorated swimmer in the history of the program heading into her senior season, Alissa Tinklenberg captured the honor of Female Senior Athlete of the Year following a brilliant finish to what was a brilliant career. She led the Gusties to a fifth straight MIAC Championship and was named the MIAC Women’s Swimmer of the Year for the second consecutive season. At the MIAC Championships, Tink took home gold in seven events, winning the 50 freestyle, 100 and 200 backstroke, 200 and 400 freestyle relays, and 200 and 400 medley relays. She then went on to lead Gustavus to a program-best seventh place finish at the NCAA Championships. At the NCAA Championships, she earned All-America honors in the 100 and 200 back, 200 and 400 free relays, and 200 medley relays. Tinklenberg finishes her career a 24-time All-Conference performer and a 12-time All-American.
Other finalists for the award included soccer/hockey player Amanda Cartony (Stillwater, Minn.), basketball player Julia Dysthe (White Bear Lake, Minn.), and nordic skier Marian Lund (Duluth, Minn.).
To go along with athletic achievements, the department also handed out academic, community service, and other honors including the Evelyn Young Award, Hollingsworth Key, 3.5 Grade Point Average Award, Community Service Award, Inspiration Award, and Four-Year Letter Winner Pins.
Evelyn Young Award – Kat Dahl, Softball, Luverne, Minnesota
The Evelyn Young Award is an honor named after the legendary director of the Gustavus food service who served the college more than three decades. Married to Gus Young, who was men’s basketball coach at Gustavus from 1949 to 1957, Evelyn was an avid Gustie Basketball Fan. The Evelyn Young Award is presented to the female senior student-Athlete who has the highest cumulative grade point average. This year’s recipient was softball player Kat Dahl (Luverne, Minn.), who carried a cumulative GPA of 3.98 in biology. She played in a total of 91 career games, and is a three-time Academic All-Conference performer who hit .275 with 10 doubles, two triples, six home runs, and 41 RBI during her time playing for Head Coach Jeff Annis. Over those four years, Gustavus went 89-53-1 O’all and 54-17-1 MIAC.
Hollingsworth Key – Joe Renier, Cross Country/Track & Field, Cambridge, Minnesota
The Hollingsworth Key is an award presented to the Gustavus Male Athlete with the highest cumulative grade point average. The honor is named after legendary Gustavus football coach and athletic director Lloyd Hollingsworth. ‘Holly’ served 15 years at the helm of the football team during one the program’s most successful periods through 1940s and 50s. He also played a key role in building the athletic department to an elite level as the AD from 1961 to 1975. This year’s honoree was cross country and track & field runner Joe Renier (Cambridge, Minn.), who carried a 3.92 cumulative GPA of 3.92 in biology. A three-time Academic All-Conference honoree, Renier committed to Head Coach Dale Bahr’s programs and transformed himself into the team’s top distance runner. Because of this commitment, work ethic, and drive, he was able to put together the best season of his college career, finishing 11th overall at the MIAC Championships.
The 3.5 Grade Point Average Award is awarded to all the senior athletes who have maintained a 3.5 cumulative grade point average throughout their collegiate career. The complete list of a 3.5 Grade Point Average Award winners can be found here.
Community Service Award – Torey Asao, Football, Chaska, Minnesota
The Community Service Award recognizes a senior student-athlete who has made significant contributions to the community through volunteer work and other programs. This year’s recipient of the Community Service Award was cornerback Torey Asao (Chaska, Minn.). A CoSIDA Academic All-American and a All-Conference Second Team performer, Asao volunteers for the Special Olympics and Study Buddies. He is also a member of a number of student-led organizations including Student Athlete Volunteer Educators (SAVE), Student Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), Tau Psi Omega fraternity (REDS), and Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA)
Grace Goblirsch Inspiration Award – Men’s and Women’s Swimming & Diving
Renamed the Grace Goblirsch Inspiration Award after swimmer Grace Goblirsch who passed away on August 23, 2013 after losing an eight-month battle with acute myelogenous leukemia, the Gustavus men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams were recognized for their perseverance, dedication, and determination when faced with the death of a teammate. The Gustie swimmers and divers served as role models of hope and inspiration and are now the recipients of the first honor named after their fallen teammate, Grace Goblirsch. To view Head Coach Jon Carlson’s acceptance speech, please watch the video below.
The individuals receiving a Four-Year Letter Winner pins can be found here. Based on the criteria of the head coach, these individuals lettered in all four-years within their respective program.
In what was a new honor added to this year’s awards, the Gustavus Student Athlete Advisory (SAAC) recognized the top three individual senior performances of the 2013-14 academic year. Once the top performances of the season were compiled and collected, they were presented to the Student Athlete Advisory Committee where they were voted on. After the votes were tallied, the top three senior performances – both female and male – were ordered from three to one based on the number of votes each received.
Third Place
Britta Rinke, Basketball, Waconia, Minnesota
January 4 vs. St. Olaf Olaf College
- Posted a double-double with a season-high 28 points and 11 rebounds in a narrow 68-64 loss in Northfield.
- Went 11-for-21 from the field and 6-for-7 at the free throw line.
- Scored 16 points on 5-of-11 shooting and brought down nine rebounds (7 defensive) in the second half alone.
Joe Renier, Cross Country, Cambridge, Minnesota
September 21 at MIAC Championships
- Led Gustavus to a seventh place finish, an improvement of three spots compared to 2012.
- Finished 11th overall with a season-best time of 25:58.1.
- Became Gustavus’s first male runner to earn All-Conference accolades since 2008.
Second Place
Marian Lund, Nordic Skiing, Duluth, Minnesota
January 24-25, NCAA Qualifier
- Top female skier leading women’s team to a season-best third place finish with 54 points.
- Finished 13th overall in the 5k classic race with a time of 16:44.0.
- Finished a season-best fifth overall in the 5k freestyle race with a 15:36.0.
Cameron Clause, Track & Field, Mankato, Minnesota
March 6-8, MIAC Indoor Track & Field Championships
- Named Outstanding Men’s Field Athlete for his performances in the heptathlon (1st) and pole vault (2nd).
- Heptathlon performance was named the Outstanding Performance of the Meet.
- Scored a 5,088 in the heptathlon, breaking the MIAC and Gustavus record.
First Place
Alissa Tinklenberg, Swimming & Diving, Willmar, Minnesota
February 13-15, MIAC Championships
- Led Gustavus to fifth straight MIAC Championship.
- Named MIAC Women’s Swimmer-of-the-Year for the second consecutive season.
- Won three individual races and contributed to four gold medal relay teams.
March 19-22, NCAA Championships
- Led Gustavus to a program-best seventh place finish.
- Earned All-America honors in the 100 backstroke (8th), 200 backstroke (4th), 200-free relay (4th), 400-free relay (7th), and 400-medley relay (5th).
Jeffrey Dubose, Football, St. Paul, Minnesota
November 9 vs. Carleton College
- Carried the offensive load in a 34-19 victory on Senior Day.
- Ran for a school-record 264 yards on 32 carries to go along with four touchdowns and 80 receiving yards.
- Because of his performance against the Knights, Dubose broke Gustavus’s records for both rushing yards and touchdowns in a single season.
A special thanks to the Senior Athlete Banquet Planning Committee, Jared Phillips, Rachelle Sherden, Laurie Kelly, and Brenden Huber for their hard work in making this event happen. Also, thank you to A.J. Dahm and Sports PiX for their coverage of this event.