BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced the winners of a prestigious conference award Friday. Saint John's University's Joe Duxbury and St. Olaf College's Abbey Schnaith were honored for their combined athletic and academic achievement with the MIAC Elite 22 Award in men's and women's swimming and diving, respectively.

The MIAC Elite 22 Award recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the conference championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. Modeled after the NCAA Elite 89 Award, the MIAC Elite 22 Award is presented to the student-athlete with the highest grade point average (GPA) in each sport who meet similarly high, sport-specific athletic requirements. 

The MIAC Elite 22 Award in men's and women's swimming and diving is presented to the individual with the highest GPA that is a sophomore, junior or senior and in at least his or her second season of competition with their current team and recognized as a member of the All-Conference Team at the 2015 MIAC Swimming and Diving Championships, which includes the top three finishers in each event.

Duxbury claimed his Elite 22 honor thanks to a pair of All-MIAC relay performances at the 2015 Championships and his near-perfect GPA. Duxbury has a 3.96 GPA and is a senior Accounting major at Saint John's. He is a Long Lake, Minn., native and a graduate of Orono High School.

His two All-Conference performances both met NCAA B standard times, as he helped SJU's 400-yard freestyle relay finish first with a time of 3:04.46, and the Johnnies' 200-yard freestyle relay team take 2nd with a time of 1:23.04. Duxbury also helped SJU's 400- and 200-yard medley relay teams finish fourth. Individually, the SJU senior also finished sixth in the 100-yard breaststroke, ninth in the 50-yard freestyle and 11th in the 100-yard freestyle to help Saint John's finish in fourth place in the team standings with 510 points.

Schnaith used a similarly high GPA and five different All-Conference performances - one individual and four relays - to claim the women's Elite 22 award. The Ole junior is a double major in Chemistry and Economics with a near-perfect 3.935 GPA. She is a native of Red Wing, Minn., and a graduate of Red Wing High School.

Schnaith finished third in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 58.85, and helped four St. Olaf relay teams also finish third. She helped the third-place 800-yard freestyle relay team meet the NCAA B cut with a time of 7:41.65, and she also contributed to top-three finishes in the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:31.70), the 200-yard medley relay (1:47.25) and the 400-yard medley relay (3:55.87). Schnaith also took 13th place as an individual in the 50-yard freestyle, and she helped the Oles to a third-place team finish with a total of 514.5 points.

A plaque will be provided to Duxbury and Schnaith to commemorate their MIAC Elite 22 Award, and they are recognized on the MIAC Elite 22 Award web site, which will archive each of the 22 winners throughout the 2014-15 season. Duxbury is the third Saint John's student-athlete to claim the Elite 22 honor this season, joining Dylan Lehrer (men's soccer) and Carter Hanson (football). Schnaith is the first St. Olaf student-athlete to claim the prestigious award in 2014-15.

| MIAC Elite 22 Award | 2014-15 MIAC Elite 22 Award Archive |