BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) recognized some of its best and brightest spring-sport student-athletes on Tuesday with the announcement of the Elite 22 Awards. Gustavus senior Nick Aney (Rochester) and sophomore Alli Laux (Onalaska, Wis.) received the awards for men’s and women’s tennis, respectively.
The MIAC Elite 22 Award recognizes the true essence of the term “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.
In all sports with MIAC team postseason tournaments the MIAC Elite 22 Award is presented to the individual with the highest GPA on the active roster at the MIAC Playoff championship contest. In championship meet sports, the winner is the individual with the highest GPA who earned All-Conference status. The recipient must be a sophomore, junior, or senior and in at least their second season of competition with their current team.
Aney earns a second straight Elite 22 honor in men’s tennis. The 2022 MIAC Arthur Ashe Award winner for sportsmanship and achievement in men’s tennis, Aney was named All-Conference as a doubles competitor for the third consecutive season and added honorable mention accolades in singles competition as a senior. Aney has maintained a 3.988 GPA while majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology at Gustavus.
Laux received honorable mention distinction in singles play when the conference announced its women’s tennis awards earlier in May. Laux tallied a 15-5 record overall in 2022 while playing at Nos. 2, 4, and 5 singles for the Gusties. An elementary education major at Gustavus, Laux holds a 3.973 cumulative GPA.