BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) recognized the winners of a prestigious conference honor Thursday. Gustavus' Lizzy Stanczyk (women's tennis) and Elizabeth Weiers (women's outdoor track and field), Carleton's Patton McClelland (men's tennis), St. Thomas' Kendra Bowe (softball), Hamline's Mark Volker (men's outdoor track and field) and Saint John's Alex Toninato (baseball) were all honored for their combined athletic and academic achievement with the MIAC Elite 22 Award.
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 winner must be a sophomore, junior or senior and in at least his or her second season of competition with their current team.
In all sports with MIAC team postseason tournaments (tennis, softball and baseball), the MIAC Elite 22 Award is presented to the individual with the highest GPA on the active roster at the MIAC Playoff championship contest. The outdoor track and field MIAC Elite 22 Awards are presented to the individual with the highest GPA and recognized as a member of the All-Conference Team at the 2015 MIAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which includes the top three individual finishers in each event and each first-place relay team.
McClelland claimed the men's tennis Elite 22 honor thanks to his team's trip to the MIAC Playoff championship game and his outstanding 3.91 GPA. The sophomore from Rock Hill, S.C., adds his impressive honor to an unforgettable season for the Knights, who finished 23-3 overall and 8-1 in conference play. Carleton took second in both the MIAC regular-season standings, and the MIAC Playoffs, and McClelland adds his Elite 22 award to his All-MIAC Singles honor.
Stanczyk's Elite 22 honor is the exclamation point on another championship season in St. Peter, as Gustavus captured the women's tennis regular-season title and finished as the runner-up in the MIAC Playoffs. She claimed her honor with a near-perfect 3.963 GPA and her team's trip to the title match, and the Plymouth, Wis., native is a junior majoring in Spanish. Stanczyk helped the Gusties go a perfect 10-0 to capture the MIAC title and 16-13 overall, and she earned All-Conference Singles and Doubles honors this season.
St. Thomas' Bowe caps her stellar career with her Elite 22 honor, which joins a very crowded trophy case with four All-Conference awards and three MIAC Pitcher-of-the-Year honors. Bowe's team reached the MIAC Softball Playoff championship game where it finished as the runner-up, and her GPA of 3.91 earned her the Elite 22 award. Bowe is a senior Health Promotions major from Chippewa Falls, Wis., and this season she helped St. Thomas finish 35-12 overall (16-6 MIAC) and earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Weiers claimed the Women's Outdoor Track and Field Elite 22 honor for the second-straight season thanks to her fantastic work in the classroom and her great performance at the MIAC Championships. Weiers won the MIAC title in the hammer throw with a toss of 51.45 meters, and her perfect 4.0 GPA gave her the Elite 22 award yet again. The senior English major is a native of Le Center, Minn., and she helped Gustavus rack up 57 team points to finish in seventh place.
Volker soared to a title in the men's pole vault and, simultaneously, his second Elite 22 award. The Hamline senior also won the honor at the 2014 MIAC Indoor Track and Field Championship, and he claimed the 2015 Outdoor honor with a tremendous 3.989 GPA. The Biochemistry major hails from Cambridge, Minn., and he won the MIAC pole vault title in 2015 by clearing the bar at 4.58 meters. Volker helped the Pipers finish second in the team competition with 138.5 points.
Toninato claimed the MIAC Elite 22 award in baseball thanks to his outstanding work in the classroom and the Johnnies' unforgettable run to the MIAC Playoff title. After losing its opening game, Saint John's rallied to four straight to capture the postseason crown, and Toninato captured his honor with a stellar 3.98 GPA. The senior infielder is an Accounting major, and he is a native of Woodbury, Minn. (Hill-Murray). Toninato helped Saint John's finish 26-16 overall (12-6 MIAC) with the MIAC Playoff title, a second-place regular season finish, and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
A plaque will be provided to each of the six winners to commemorate their MIAC Elite 22 Award, and they are recognized on the MIAC Elite 22 Award web site, which has archived each of the 22 winners throughout the 2014-15 season. St. Thomas led the way in 2014-15 with eight Elite 22 recipients, followed by Saint John's with four. Bethel, Concordia and Gustavus each had two honorees, and Carleton, Hamline, Saint Mary's and St. Olaf had one apiece.
| MIAC Elite 22 Award | 2014-15 MIAC Elite 22 Award Archive |