The University of Minnesota Crookston had 10 student-athletes earn the NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction award as announced by the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).
Ashley Chomyn (Soccer, Winnipeg, Manitoba), Warden Dahlgren (Men’s Cross Country, Edgeley, N.D.), Teddy Giefer (Baseball, Courtland), Christian Norby (Baseball, Ashby), Tad Scherbenske (Baseball, Rapid City, S.D.), Madeleine Schneider (Tennis, Gartrigen, Germany), Madeleine Shwaluk (Softball, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba), Paige Shwaluk (Softball, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba), Brody Sorenson (Baseball, Grand Forks, N.D.), and Mara Weisensel (Volleyball, New Ulm) were named as recipients of the award.
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 261 student-athletes from the NSIC’s 15 institutions will receive the award in its 15th year.
Dr. Myles N. Brand, visionary leader, educator and reformer, served as the President of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (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.
