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MIAC announces 2024 fall sport Elite 22 winners

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) recognized some of its best and brightest fall sport student-athletes on Thursday with the announcement of the golf, cross country, soccer, volleyball, and football Elite 22 Awards.
 
Saint John’s Tim Fultz and Bethel’s Laura Beltman were the recipients of the men's and women's golf Elite 22 awards, with Gustavus’ Tyler Smith joining Bethel’s Josie Harms as the award recipients for men's and women's cross country. Soccer's Elite 22 awards went to Bethel’s Ryan Swanda and St. Catherine’s Mallory Johnson, while St. Catherine’s Lexie Petrick and Saint John’s D.J. Myles were awarded in volleyball and football, 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 their sport while also achieving the highest academic standard among their 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, including volleyball and soccer, the MIAC Elite 22 Award is presented to the individual with the highest GPA on the active postseason roster of a playoff-qualifying team. The MIAC Elite 22 Football Award is presented to the individual nominated for the honor with the highest GPA who helped their team reach the MIAC championship game. For cross country, the honor is bestowed upon the individual with the highest GPA among the top 15 individual finishers at the conference championship meet, while the accolade in golf is presented to the individual with the highest GPA among the top 10 individual finishers at the MIAC Championships. Each winner must be a junior or senior and in at least their second full academic year at their current institution. Ties are broken by the number of credits earned at their institution.
 
Beltman (Sr. | Orange City, Iowa | Unity Christian) tied for seventh overall at the 2024 MIAC Women’s Golf Championships with a three-round score of 234 (+18). Beltman is an elementary education major at Bethel with a 3.93 grade point average.
 
Fultz (Jr. | Stillwater) finished fourth overall at the 2024 MIAC Men’s Golf Championships, carding a three-day score of 217 (+1). Fultz has a 3.41 GPA as a global business leadership major at Saint John’s.
 
Harms (Sr. | Slayton, Minn. | Murray County Central) placed 15th overall at the 2024 MIAC Women’s Cross Country Championships, crossing the finish line in 23:13.10. Harms has maintained a 4.00 GPA at Bethel with a concentration in finance.
 
Johnson (Gr. | Farmington, Minn.) started all 21 games at center back for the Wildcats, helping St. Kate’s shutout ten opponents in 2024. Johnson has maintained a 4.00 GPA at St. Catherine and is pursuing a master’s degree in nursing.
 
Myles (Sr. | Dayton, Minn. | Champlin Park) totaled 17 tackles and 1.5 sacks in ten games at linebacker for the MIAC champion Johnnies. Myles has a 4.00 at Saint John’s while majoring in global business leadership.
 
Petrick (Sr. | Lakeville, Minn. | North) played 109 sets for the Wildcats this fall, totaling 481 digs and 296 kills as an outside hitter. Petrick has a 3.98 GPA while majoring in business administration at St. Catherine.
 
Smith (Sr. | Norwood Young America, Minn. | Central) placed eighth overall at the 2024 MIAC Men’s Cross Country Championships with a time of 25:17.20. Smith has a 4.00 GPA while majoring in public accounting at Gustavus.
 
Swanda (Jr. | Edina, Minn.) started 18 games as a defender for the Royals, contributing two goals and two assists on the year. Swanda is a history major with a 4.00 GPA at Bethel.
 
A physical award will be provided to the winners to commemorate their MIAC Elite 22 Award. The conference also recognizes past honorees on the MIAC Elite 22 Award web page.
 
| 2024-25 MIAC Elite 22 Award | Elite 22 Home Page |