BURNSVILLE, Minn. -- The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) has announced the 17th annual Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award winners. MSU Moorhead had 18 student-athletes earn the prestigious honor.
The honor, named for the late NCAA President Dr. Myles Brand, is bestowed to NSIC academic senior student-athletes who have a cumulative grade point average of 3.75 or higher (student-athletes can only earn the award once). Each student-athlete will be recognized by the NSIC with a certificate of achievement and a wristwatch. A total of 258 student-athletes from the NSIC's 16 institutions will receive the award in its 17th year.
"It brings me joy to continue to see how our student-athletes in the NSIC excel in the classroom, in the community and on the playing fifield. These are characteristics in which Dr. Myles Brand emphasized. I am extremely proud of all these student-athletes for their devotion to their universities, the NSIC and to their personal academic and athletic goals. I have no doubt these student-athletes will continue to achieve success in life well beyond the classroom and the competition venues," said Lind.
Dr. Myles N. Brand, visionary leader, educator and reformer, served as the President of the National Collegiate Athletic As- sociation (NCAA) from 2003-2009. He passed away in September 2009 at the age of 67 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Brand presided over passage of the most comprehensive academic reform package for intercollegiate athletics in recent history – a package that refocused the attention of student-athletes, coaches and administrators on the education of student-athletes. Brand also changed the national dialog on college sports to emphasize the educational value of athletics participation and the integration of intercollegiate athletics with the academic mission of higher education. His impact on Division II ran deep by implementing an identity campaign and a strategic positioning platform tied to specific divisional attributes. He challenged Division II to continue its game environment and community engagement focus, and improve academic success rates.
The Dragon honorees are as follows:
Halle Balluff, Golf
Major: Accounting
Devin Beach, Football
Major: Exercise Science
Abby Berge, Women's Basketball
Major: Accounting and Finance
Quinn Carter, Soccer
Major: Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences
Luzmary Diaz Castillo, Tennis
Major: Integrated Advertising/PR
Brynna Farman, Softball
Major: Social Studies and History Education
Ruth Guy, Swimming & Diving
Major: Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences
Katryna Hansen, Tennis
Major: Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences
Mitchell Jezierski, Football
Major: Exercise Science
Noah Karels, Football
Major: Construction Management
Brooks O'Brien, Football
Major: Construction Management
Kiara Olesch, Volleyball
Major: Mathematics & Health Education
Hunter Petersen, Track & Field
Major: Digital Media Management
Micah Runion, Football
Major: Finance
Jensen Seidel, Soccer
Major: Chemistry
Jack Strand, Football
Major: Engineering Physics
Brennan Sellheim, Football
Major: Biology
Grant Warkenthien, Football
Major: Construction Management
