BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- The recent conclusion of the fall season in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) is accompanied by the announcement of the winners of a prestigious conference award in cross country, volleyball and soccer - the MIAC Elite 22 award.
St. Thomas' Jacob Gerhartz was named the winner for men's cross country for the second-straight season, and Macalester's Kimber Meyer added the women's award to her individual MIAC championship. Bethel's Kristin Stern claimed the Elite 22 award for volleyball, St. Thomas' Johnny Mulvahill was named the men's soccer winner, and the women's soccer honor went to Gustavus' Sophie Leininger.
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 90 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 Elite 22 award - now in its third season - emerged from the MIAC's strategic plan. It was unanimously approved by the MIAC's governance structure in the spring of 2013, and first awarded during the 2013-14 season.
The MIAC Elite 22 Award in men's and women's cross country 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 MIAC Cross Country All-Conference team, which includes the top 15 individual finishers at the MIAC Cross Country Championships.
Gerhartz repeated as an All-Conference runner, and his perfect 4.00 GPA also led to a repeat selection as the MIAC Men's Cross Country Elite 22 Award winner. The senior from Sauk Centre, Minn. is an Exercise Science major. At the MIAC Championships, he finished fourth overall with a time of 25:54.5, while leading St. Thomas to a fourth-place team finish.
Meyer adds her Elite 22 honor to an awards-filled junior season, as she finished first to win the MIAC individual title, was named MIAC Women's Cross Country Athlete-of-the-Year and headlined the All-Conference team. Her victory - thanks to her winning time of 22:14.2 - combined with her near-perfect 3.961 GPA to give her the Elite 22 award. Meyer is a junior Biology major from Naperville, Ill., and she led the Scots to a fifth-place team finish in 2015.
In all sports with MIAC team postseason tournaments, including volleyball, men's soccer and women's soccer, 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 winner must be a sophomore, junior or senior and in at least his or her second season of competition with their current team. All three fall winners were recognized during the awards ceremony following their respective MIAC Playoff championship contests.
Stern helped Bethel reach the MIAC Volleyball Playoff championship match, where her near-perfect GPA of 3.92 gave her the Elite 22 honor. The Royals fell 3-1 to Gustavus in the title match, but the team received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, where it won its first three matches and is preparing to play in Thursday's Elite 8 in Grand Rapids, Mich. Stern is a sophomore from Sioux Falls, S.D., majoring in Business - Accounting and Finance. The middle blocker was named to the All-Conference team earlier this month, and her .343 hitting percentage ranks first in the conference.
Mulvahill helped St. Thomas complete a remarkable Cinderalla run as the first No. 6 seed to reach the MIAC Men's Soccer Playoff championship game, where his outstanding 3.86 GPA resulted in his Elite 22 selection. The Tommies defeated Carleton 1-0 in overtime and top-seeded Macalester 2-1 to reach the championship, where they lost 2-0 to St. Olaf. Mulvahill is a senior defender from Wayzata, Minn., majoring in Mathematics and Philosophy. The Tommie senior was named an All-Conference Honorable Mention selection, and he finished the year with eight points on four goals, including one game-winner.
Leininger helped the Gusties capture their first-ever MIAC Women's Soccer Playoff championship with a 1-0 title-game win over St. Thomas, and her perfect 4.00 GPA added the Elite 22 Award to a special day for Gustavus. Leininger is a sophomore from Plymouth, Minn., and is currently undecided on her major. The midfielder was named to the MIAC All-Conference team after helping the Gusties reach the MIAC Playoffs for the first time after winning just one game in conference play the previous season. Her nine assists were the third-most in the conference, and she added one goal for a total of 11 points.
A plaque will be provided to all the fall winners 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 2015-16 season. Thus far in 2015-16, St. Thomas has captured four of the seven Elite 22 honors, with Bethel, Gustavus and Macalester each claiming one apiece.
| MIAC Elite 22 Award | 2015-16 MIAC Elite 22 Award Archive |