BURNSVILLE, Minn. — The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) announced the its 2025-26 Britton and Kelly Award recipients on Thursday with Concordia-St. Paul's Cassie Sieling and Daniel Hornacek being named CSP's NSIC Female and Male Honor Student-Athletes of the Year. It marks the first career honor for both seniors.
University of Minnesota Duluth's Elizabeth VanLoon was named the 2026 Willis R. Kelly Scholar-Athlete Award winner and Minnesota State University Moorhead's Jack Strand was the recipient of the 2026 Dr. William Britton Scholar-Athlete Award. The Britton Scholar-Athlete Award for Academic Excellence, in its 42nd year, recognizes the NSIC's top male student-athlete and the Kelly Scholar-Athlete Award, in its 41st year, is presented to the NSIC's top female student-athlete.
The Britton Award was created in 1985 in honor of Dr. William Britton, a longtime faculty representative at Bemidji State University who served on the Athletic Board of Control of the Northern Intercollegiate Conference for 25 years. Britton retired from BSU in 1982 and passed away in March of 2019.
The Kelly Award is named in honor of Willis R. Kelly, an associate professor of physical education at the University of Minnesota-Morris. A member of the NSIC Hall of Fame, Kelly also coordinated the Minnesota-Morris Physical Education Department from 1970-87. She became the first director of women's intercollegiate athletics at Minnesota-Morris in 1976 and was later promoted to athletics director for the whole department. Kelly passed away in 1988.
The member institutions of the NSIC nominate one male and one female student-athlete for the Britton and Kelly Awards. 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, and evidence of participation in at least two-thirds of the varsity events of the individual's primary sport. The award is voted on by the NSIC Faculty Athletic Representatives.
The 32 student-athletes nominated for the NSIC's two most prestigious awards will also be recognized as NSIC Male and Female Honor Student-Athletes of the Year at their respective institutions. VanLoon and Strand will be recognized Tuesday, July 7 at the NSIC Hall of Fame Banquet in Bloomington, Minnesota and will each receive a $3,000 post-graduate scholarship.
#7 Cassie Sieling (Libero, 5-9, SR., Bloomington, Minn. / Bloomington Jefferson HS)
- 2025 NCAA Elite Scholar-Athlete for DII Volleyball
- 2025 CSC Academic All-District
- 2025 NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence
- 2025 All-NSIC First Team
- 2024 All-NSIC Second Team
- Ranks seventh in the NSIC with 4.35 digs per set
- Ranks ninth in the conference with 0.37 aces per set
- Has reached double figures in digs 32 times, including five matches with 20+ digs
- Set a career high for a three-set match with 26 digs against Minnesota Crookston (11/7)
- Named NSIC Defensive Player of the Week twice this season (10/20, 10/27)
- NCAA Central Region Tournament All-Tournament Team
- UIndy Invitational All-Tournament Team
#21 Daniel Hornacek (RB, 5-11, 195, Sr., De Pere, Wis. / Notre Dame Academy)
- 2025 CSC Academic All-District Team
- Three-time NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence selection
- Two-time CSP Offensive Player of the Week
- Week one team captain against Quincy
- Played in all 11 games with 10 starts at running back
- Ranked fifth in career yards per carry at CSP (5.73) with 213 carries for 1,220 yards
- Had 1,526 career all-purpose yards (213-1220 rush, 47-306 rec) and seven total touchdowns
- Career-highs as a senior in carries (131), yards (694), receptions (29), receiving yards (152)
- Had three 100-yard rushing performances as a senior, four in career
CSP's PAST NSIC MALE HONOR STUDENT-ATHLETES
2025-26: Daniel Hornacek, football
2024-25: Calder Erick, track & field
2023-24: Parker Dahlman, football
2022-23: Calder Erick, track & field
2021-22: Scott Burazin, track & field
2020-21: Jarod Wandersee, baseball
2019-20: Cole Oslin, track & field, cross country
2018-19: Kelly Pierce, football
2017-18: Adam Hildebrandt, baseball
2016-17: Sam Johnson, football
2015-16: Zach Rengel, baseball
2014-15: Zach Rengel, baseball
2013-14: Nic Rudolph, track & field, cross country
2012-13: Tom Flack, football, track & field
2011-12: Bryan Lippincott, baseball
2010-11: Nick Jarrett, golf
2009-10: John Pimental, track & field, football
*2008-09: Kirk Ingram, baseball
2007-08: Kirk Ingram, baseball
2006-07: Kyle Warren, track & field, cross country
2005-06: Galen Wetzell, baseball
2004-05: Brian Jamros, basketball
2003-04: Marcus Bretbarth, track & field, cross country
2002-03: Reed Tietz, track & field, football
2001-02: Lee Brandel, baseball
2000-01: Andrew Fleischman, football, baseball
1999-00: Matt Woodford, football
* - NSIC Dr. William Britton Scholar-Athlete Award winner
CSP's PAST NSIC FEMALE HONOR STUDENT-ATHLETES
2025-26: Cassie Sieling, volleyball
2024-25: Teagan Starkey, volleyball
2023-24: Teagan Starkey, volleyball
2022-23: Clara Heislen, softball
*2021-22: Jena Berkland, soccer
2020-21: Jena Berkland, soccer
2019-20: Hannah Pavek, soccer
2018-19: Maddy Kunshier, track & field
2017-18: Kayla Miller, basketball
2016-17: Riley Hanson, volleyball
2015-16: Savannah Stone, golf
2014-15: Anika Whiting, basketball
2013-14: Eryn Johnson, golf
*2012-13: Ellie Duffy, volleyball
2011-12: Ellie Duffy, volleyball
2010-11: Molly Noser, golf
2009-10: Maggie McNamara, volleyball
*2008-09: Mary Slinger, volleyball
2007-08: Katie LaViolette, basketball
2006-07: Jessica Lucia, volleyball
2005-06: Valerie Olson, volleyball
2004-05: Lyndsey Gagas, soccer
2003-04: Jill Kalvik, volleyball, basketball
2002-03: Janet Brownawell, track & field, cross country, softball
2001-02: Erin Buecksler, track & field
2000-01: Jodi Werman, cross country
1999-00: Andrea Miller, softball, volleyball
* - NSIC Willis R. Kelly Scholar-Athlete Award winner
