BURNSVILLE, Minn. - The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) has announced its 2017 Male and Female Honor Student-Athletes with seniors Sam Johnson (football) and Riley Hanson (volleyball) selected to represent Concordia-St. Paul among the 31 student-athletes named to the annual honor list.

Johnson and Hanson were CSP's institution nominees for the Britton Award (male) and Kelly Award (female) which went to Northern State's Joe Gomez (wrestling) and Sasha Hovind (cross country/track & field) which marks the sixth time the award was presented to student-athletes at the same institution.

The Britton Scholar-Athlete Award for Academic Excellence is in its 33rd year and recognizes the top male student-athlete and the Kelly Scholar-Athlete Award is in its 32nd year for the top female student-athlete.

The member institutions of the NSIC nominate one male and one female student-athlete for the Britton and Kelly Awards and the award is voted on by the NSIC Faculty Athletic Representatives.

The nominees must meet the following criteria:
 - a grade point average of 3.5 or better (on a 4.0 scale)
 - evidence of academic excellence beyond the minimum grade point average (scholarship prizes and other academic recognition)
 - evidence of participation in the life of the institution
 - evidence of participation in at least two-thirds of the varsity events of the individual's primary sport

The 31 student-athletes nominated for the NSIC's two most prestigious awards will also be honored as NSIC Male and Female Honor Student-Athletes of the Year at their respective institutions. Gomez and Hovind will be recognized Tuesday, July 11 at the 2017 NSIC Hall of Fame Banquet at the Best Western Premier in Burnsville, Minn. and will each receive a $2,500 post-graduate scholarship.

#5 Riley Hanson (MB, 5-11, Sr., Nevis, Minn. / Nevis HS)

• 3.85 cumulative GPA with a biology major
• has received $7,500 NCAA post-graduate scholarship which she intends to use for dental school
• 2016 CoSIDA Academic All-America® of the Year & First Team selection
• 2016 NCAA Division II Volleyball Championships All-Tournament Team
• 2016-17 NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction award
• 2015 CoSIDA Academic All-America® Second Team
• Three-time CoSIDA Academic All-District
• Three-time D2CCA All-America (2015 & 2016 First Team, 2014 Second Team)
• Three-time AVCA All-America First Team
• Three-time D2CCA All-Region First Team
• Three-time AVCA All-Region First Team
• Four-time All-NSIC and three-time All-NSIC First Team selection
• Three-time NSIC All-Academic
• Program's all-time leader in hitting percentage (.402)
• Her nation leading .433 hitting percentage this year was second in program history for a season
• Sixth in program history with 1,500 kills and third with 444 total blocks
• Ranks third on the team this season with 3.02 kills per set and 0.90 blocks per set
• Has picked up double-digit kills in 21 matches this year, including her first career double-double against UMD (16 kills and 10 blocks)

#33 Sam Johnson (LB, 6-2, 223, Sr., Appleton, Wis. / Appleton East HS)

• 3.95 cumulative GPA with a biology major
• intends to attend medical school to become a sport medicine physician
• earned the Paul W Stor Chemistry Award
• voted a 2016 team captain
• 2016-17 NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction award
• a three-time NSIC All-Academic Team member
• 2014 D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award winner
• was ranked in top-10 of NCAA DII with over 10 tackles per game prior to injuries in the middle of the season
• ranked 21st in the NSIC in tackles per game (7.0) despite missing significant parts of two contests and two full games
• finished the year ranked second on the team in total tackles (63) despite missing two full games and significant parts of two others
• started the year with three double-digit tackle performances in the first four games played and made at least eight tackles in all six games he played full reps
• had a career-high 14 tackles in a week three loss to Minnesota Duluth
• had 12 tackles, a tackle for loss and a sack in a 17-0 shutout win over U-Mary in the season opener
• had at least a half tackle for loss in four of the first five games as well as the season finale
• has 123 career tackles in 41 games with 10.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and interception

 

2016-17 NSIC Men's Honor Student-Athlete Award Winners
Nathan Merriman	Augustana	Jr.	Football	Niwot, Colo.	Niwot HS
Gena Adams	Bemidji State	Sr.	Football	Phoenix, Ariz.	Shadow Mountain HS
Sam Johnson	Concordia-St Paul	Sr.	Football	Appleton, Wis.	Appleton East HS
Isaac Lindquist	University of Mary	Sr.	Men's Basketball	Milbank, S.D.	Milbank HS
Grant Pulver	Minnesota Duluth	Jr.	Cross Country	Chippewa Falls, Wis.	McDonell Central Catholic HS
Adam Cooling	Minnesota State	Sr.	Wrestling	Madelia, Minn.	Madelia HS
Joseph Tjosvold	MSU Moorhead	Jr.	Football	Lake Elmo, Minn.	Tartan HS
Nate Mertens	Minot State	Sr.	Men's Basketball	Devils Lake, N.D.	Devils Lake HS
Joseph Gomez	Northern State	Sr.	Wrestling	Graham, Wash.	Graham-Kapowsin HS
Luke Papilion	Sioux Falls	Sr.	Football	Denver, Colo.	Cherry Creek HS
Austin LaFollette	Southwest Minnesota State	Sr.	Track & Field	Edgerton, Minn.	Edgerton Public HS
Brett Velasquez	St. Cloud State	Jr.	Wrestling	Bennington, Neb.	Bennington Public HS
Sawyer Bawek	Upper Iowa	Sr.	Baseball	Arcadia, Wis.	Arcadia HS
Joseph Lenihan	Wayne State	Sr.	Baseball	Wayne, Neb.	Wayne HS
Joshua Mongan	Winona State	Sr.	Men's Basketball	Germantown, Wis.	Germantown HS
2016-17 NSIC Women's Honor Student-Athlete Award Winners
Jordan Bormann	Augustana	Sr.	Women's Golf	Parkston, S.D.	Parkston HS
Sarah Stram	Bemidji State	Sr.	Soccer	Elk Grove Village, Ill.	Elk Grove HS
Riley Hanson	Concordia-St Paul	Sr.	Volleyball	Nevis, Minn.	Nevis Public HS
Melanie Rodriguez	University of Mary	Sr.	Track & Field	Burlington, Ontario	Notre Dame Catholic HS
Sierra Trost	Minnesota Crookston	Sr.	Volleyball	Ham Lake, Minn.	Blaine HS
Anna Monke	Minnesota Duluth	Jr.	Women's Basketball	Fergus Falls, Minn.	Fergus Falls HS
Krista Hassing	Minnesota State	Sr.	Volleyball	Blue Earth, Minn.	Blue Earth Area HS
MaKenzie Smith	MSU Moorhead	Sr.	Cross Country	Donnelly, Minn.	Morris Area HS
Kayla Barke	Minot State	Sr.	Women's Golf	Williston, N.D.	Williston HS
Sasha Hovind	Northern State	Sr.	Track & Field	Stirum, N.D.	North Sargent HS
Samantha Knecht	Sioux Falls	Sr.	Women's Basketball	Platte, S.D.	Aberdeen Central HS
Rhiannon Sears	Southwest Minnesota State	Sr.	Track & Field	Pierre, S.D.	TF Riggs HS
Andrea Bryson	St. Cloud State	Jr.	Swimming/Diving	Appleton, Wis.	Appleton North HS
Monia Rohe	Upper Iowa	Sr.	Women's Golf	Onalaska, Wis.	Onalaska HS
Megan Gephardt	Wayne State	Jr.	Volleyball	Norfolk, Neb.	Lutheran High Northeast HS
Tara Roelofs	Winona State	Sr.	Women's Basketball	Vernon Center, Minn.	Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial HS

 

Annual Britton Award Recipients		Annual Kelly Award Recipients
2017 - Joe Gomez, Northern State		2017 - Sasha Hovind, Northern State
2016 - Matthew Horan, Sioux Falls		2016 - Claire Sames, Southwest Minnesota State
2015 - Kowan O'Keefe, Minot State		2015 - Whitney Burmeister, Southwest Minnesota State
2014 - William Brockmueller, Sioux Falls		2014 - Rachel Patnoe, Southwest Minnesota State
2013 - Alex Coulter, Winona State		2013 - Elizabeth (Ellie) Duffy, Concordia-St. Paul
2012 - Cody Lensing, Augustana		2012 - Kendra Heuttl, Minnesota State
2011 - Matt Braithwaite, Augustana		2011 - Rebecca Anderson, Minnesota Duluth
2010 - Marcus Greatens, Winona State		2010 - Lauren Brown, Winona State
2009 - Kirk Ingram, Concordia-St. Paul		2009 - Mary Slinger, Concordia-St. Paul
2008 - Tyler Fischer, Southwest Minnesota State		2008 - Kallie Tellefsen, Winona State
2007 - Tyler Fischer, Southwest Minnesota State		2007 - Jessica Trautwein, MSU Moorhead
2006 - Dusty Smith, Wayne State		2006 - Kathryn Kramer, Winona State
2005 - Brett Watson, Wayne State		2005 - Lindsay Hartmann, MSU Moorhead
2004 - Baron Blanchard, Northern State		2004 - Kristin Peterson, Northern State
2003 - Tucker Willard, Northern State		2003 - Karen Darveaux, Winona State
2002 - Steven Brandt, Minnesota Crookston		2002 - Christy Kubat, Southwest State
2001 - Mike May, Bemidji State		2001 - Angela Swanson, Minnesota Crookston
2000 - Adam Vossen, MSU Moorhead		2000 - Abby Stritesky, Bemidji State
1999 - Bart Johnson, MSU Moorhead		1999 - Janelle Gibbs, Southwest State
1998 - Stephen Blackmarr, Minnesota Duluth		1998 - Betsy Pachal, Minnesota Duluth
1997 - Jesse Beckermann, Minnesota Duluth		1997 - Mollie Odell,  Northern State
1996 - Lance Luitjens, Northern State		1996 - Paige Karno, Southwest State
1995 - Nate Gruber, Winona State		1995 - Katy Pivec, Southwest State
1994 - Jeff Engbrecht, Winona State		1994 - Amy Tenute, MSU Moorhead
1993 - Jay Kusler, Northern State		1993 - Amy Erickson, Minnesota Duluth
1992 - Jeff Welder, MSU Moorhead		1992 - Kristin Nelson, Minnesota Duluth
1991 - Scott Colbeck, Minnesota-Morris		1991 - Jayne Dusich, Bemidji State
1990 - Dwight Hager, Bemidji State		1990 - Mary Kortan, Northern State
1989 - Bruce Saugstad, Southwest State		1989 - Shauna Wendland, Southwest State
1988 - Tom Aney, Minnesota Duluth		1988 - Tara Haiskanen, Minnesota Duluth
1987 - Dale Harper, Bemidji State		1987 - Teresa Greenwood, MSU Moorhead             Patricia Pioske, Southwest State
1986 - Jeff Kretchman, Northern State		1986 - Lisa Muehlbauer, Minnesota Duluth
1985 - James Scott Bestul, Winona State