CROOKSTON, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston athletic department recognized their distinguished award recipients for the 2016-17 season during their athletic award banquet held Mon., April 24 at Brown Dining Hall. U of M Crookston men's basketball player Harrison Cleary (Fr., Oak Creek, Wis.) was selected Male Outstanding Athlete of the Year, while equestrian rider Selena Young (So., Plymouth, Minn.) was named Female Outstanding Athlete of the Year. Both student-athletes are first-time recipients of the award.

The Golden Eagles also awarded their Student-Athletes of the Year. Aaron Hollcraft (So., Crookston, Minn.), of the baseball and men's basketball team, and Sierra Trost (Sr., Ham Lake, Minn.), of the volleyball team, were named Male and Female Student-Athletes of the Year, respectively.

The Outstanding Athlete of the Year award honors someone who has both outstanding athletic and academic achievements and displays exemplary citizenship and is a role model for their respective program.

Cleary had an outstanding debut season in the Maroon and Gold. He became the first U of M Crookston men's basketball player to earn all-conference recognition since the 2003-04 season as he was named All-NSIC Second Team. In addition, he was named NSIC Freshman of the Year, becoming the first men's basketball player since the 2006-07 season to win a conference specialty award. On the season, he averaged 22.1 points per game, while shooting 47.7 percent from the field, 35.8 percent from beyond the arc and 85.0 percent from the free throw line. He shattered long-standing school records for points in a season (640) and free throws in a season (130). In addition, he set the single-game scoring record with 42 points against Minnesota State, breaking Joe Hasz's long-standing record.

Cleary was also awarded with two national awards, recognizing his outstanding season for the Golden Eagles. He was voted Hero Sports Division 2 Newcomer of the Year as the best newcomer in all of NCAA Division 2 men's basketball. In addition, he was also named to the Division II Bulletin All-Freshman Team.

Young put together a great season in the show pen for Minnesota Crookston. She finished 10^th at the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) Zone Championships in Intermediate Equitation over Fences. She qualified for the Zone Championships after placing first in the region at the IHSA Regional Championships. She also helped lead the hunt seat equestrian team to Reserve High Point Team honors for the region. In the regular-season, Young had several strong rides for the Golden Eagles. She picked up a second place finish in Intermediate Flat in a show at the University of Minnesota. In addition, she earned second place in Intermediate Flat at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Young also put together top five finishes at another University of Minnesota show and another University of Wisconsin-River Falls show, while also placing in the top five at a home show.

The Student-Athlete of the Year Award honors someone with a 3.2 GPA or higher, who has lettered in the same sports for two years with outstanding athletic and academic achievements. This person also displays exemplary citizenship and is a role model for their respective program.

Hollcraft exemplifies life balance in and out of the classroom as he is a rare two-sport athlete competing in both baseball and men's basketball. The Crookston-native has maintained a 3.68 GPA in elementary education during his two years in the Maroon and Gold. On the mound, Hollcraft has posted a 6.00 ERA with eight strike outs while appearing in eight games with nine innings pitched. On the court, he appeared in 14 games, tallying 14 points with one three-pointer and one free throw. He also notched four rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Trost has excelled as a student-athlete in her four years at Minnesota Crookston. She has maintained a 3.91 GPA in biology and health science. Trost was awarded with the NSIC Butch Raymond Scholarship, which was also honored at the banquet on Monday. The prestigious Butch Raymond Scholarship is a $5,000 scholarship sponsored by Sanford Health. It is given to 16 student-athletes, one recipient at each of the NSIC member institutions. To be eligible for the scholarship the recipient must be a senior academically in 2016-17, have a GPA of 3.20 or higher, be participating in intercollegiate athletics and plan to work in a health related field or attend graduate school in a health related field.

In addition, Trost was named a NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award recipient for having a 3.75 GPA or higher and being a graduating senior. She has also been nominated for the Willis R. Kelly Scholar-Athlete Award recognizing the NSIC's top female student-athlete. On the court, Trost was a four-year starter at setter for the Golden Eagles. She averaged 9.78 assists per set. In addition, she averaged 0.62 kills per set and 0.34 blocks per set this season. She had a season-high 53 assists versus Minnesota State.

Xavier Hall (Woodbury, Minn.) of the men's basketball team earned the Justin Knebel Memorial Award. The recipient of the award is somebody that exemplifies the things Justin did, being the ultimate team player who works hard on the court and in the classroom and excels both athletically and academically. Hall will earn his degree in sports and rec management. He was a two-year member of the U of M Crookston men's basketball program and was one of only two seniors on a young Golden Eagle squad. He served as the team's leader on and off the court. Hall was as unselfish of a player as you will find, always looking to help his teammates find their shots.



In addition, Baillee Hauser (Raymond, Minn.) and Trost of women's golf were presented with their NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction awards. The UMC All-Academic team was also announced. 75 Minnesota Crookston student-athletes were recognized as recipients of the award. To be eligible for the award, you must be a two-year letter winner in the same sport and have a GPA of 3.2 or higher.



In addition to the awards, the U of M Crookston welcomed back Athletic Hall of Famer Lloyd Mayes. The first African-American student and student-athlete at Minnesota Crookston, Mayes talked about his experience while attending UMC. He encouraged the current Golden Eagles to dream big and to use the abilities and skills that they have learned as student-athletes to gain an edge as they graduate and enter the workplace. Mayes went on to American University, a Division I school in his hometown of Washington, D.C. He would go onto a 10-year basketball career in Europe before giving back to his community in Washington, D.C., helping with a variety of education efforts. He was one of the inaugural inductees to the UMC Hall of Fame in 1999. He was introduced by his former coach Marv Bachmeier, who was long-time Director of Athletics at the U of M Crookston. Mayes was the emcee of the inaugural athletic banquet while he was a student-athlete at Minnesota Crookston from 1968-70.

Back Row - Rhiannon Nicoll, Marissa Mancillas, Ali Alkhatib, Monika Frame, Darin Viken, Nate Lorenz, Ethan Johnson, Rachel Freund, Emily Gruber, Lindsey Weber, Ellie Brettschneider, Nicole Corbin, Zach Greenberg, Kristi Larson, Bailey Braatz
U of M Crookston All-Academic

Baseball	Nate Albrecht	So.	Minnesota Crookston	Wahpeton, N.D.
Football	Ali Alkhatib	R-So.	Minnesota Crookston	Rosemount, Minn.
Football	Aeric Berner	So.	Minnesota Crookston	Antigo, Wis.
Baseball	Patrick Amerson	Sr.	Minnesota Crookston	Eloy, Ariz.
Baseball	Jason Angelo	Jr.	Minnesota Crookston	Manteca, Calif.
Softball	Victoria Bayliss	Jr.	Minnesota Crookston	West Bloomfield, Mich.
Baseball	Mitchell Bornhauser	Jr.	Minnesota Crookston	Northfield, Minn.
Softball	Bailey Braatz	Sr.	Minnesota Crookston	Buffalo, Minn.
Soccer	Ellie Brettschneider	Jr.	Minnesota Crookston	Lakeville, Minn.
Soccer	Molly Buck	Sr.	Minnesota Crookston	Lakeville, Minn.
Volleyball	Casey Cashman	Sr.	Minnesota Crookston	Ashland, Wis.
Football	Kolby Castillo	So.	Minnesota Crookston	Aiea, Hawaii
Football	Adam Connette	Jr.	Minnesota Crookston	Corona, Calif.
Football	Nathan Cole	Sr.	Minnesota Crookston	Aliso Viejo, Calif.
Football	Jake Christopherson	Sr.	Minnesota Crookston	Sturgeon Lake, Minn.
Soccer	Nicole Corbin	Jr.	Minnesota Crookston	Ramsey, Minn.
Football	Sam Davis	So.	Minnesota Crookston	Richardson, Texas
Equestrian	Marta Dean	So.	Minnesota Crookston	White Bear Lake, Minn.
Soccer	Samantha Deutsch	Sr.	Minnesota Crookston	Lakeville, Minn.
Soccer	Nikki Dogan	Jr.	Minnesota Crookston	Grand Forks, N.D.
W Tennis	Reanne Erickson	So.	Minnesota Crookston	Fargo, N.D.
Volleyball	Kali Erickson	Sr.	Minnesota Crookston	Fargo, N.D.
W Tennis	Whitney Erickson	Jr.	Minnesota Crookston	Spring Valley, Minn.
Equestrian	Monika Frame	Jr.	Minnesota Crookston	Polson, Mont.
Volleyball	Rachel Freund	R-Jr.	Minnesota Crookston	Jordan, Minn.
Softball	Jozie Garner	Sr.	Minnesota Crookston	Eureka, Kan.
Soccer	Danielle Gau	Sr.	Minnesota Crookston	Monticello, Minn.
Soccer	Lexie Gauger	Sr.	Minnesota Crookston	Green Bay, Wis.
Football	Zach Greenberg	So.	Minnesota Crookston	Winnipeg, Manitoba
WBB	Emily Gruber	Jr.	Minnesota Crookston	Monticello, Minn.
Volleyball	Kaycie Hagen	Jr.	Minnesota Crookston	Savage, Minn.
W Golf	McKenzie Harris	So.	Minnesota Crookston	Nevis, Minn.
W Golf	Baillee Hauser	Sr.	Minnesota Crookston	Raymond, Minn.
Baseball	Reed Hjelle	So.	Minnesota Crookston	East Grand Forks, Minn.
Baseball	Aaron Hollcraft	So.	Minnesota Crookston	Crookston, Minn.
Softball	Kate Howell	Jr.	Minnesota Crookston	Badger, Minn.
Equestrian	Emma Howey	So.	Minnesota Crookston	Rutland, N.D.
WBB	Alison Hughes	So.	Minnesota Crookston	Janesville, Wis.
W Golf	Ashlee Humble	Jr.	Minnesota Crookston	Rosemount, Minn.
Baseball	Wyatt Huso	R-Jr.	Minnesota Crookston	Eagan, Minn.
Equestrian	Anna Johnson	So.	Minnesota Crookston	Sebeka, Minn.
M Golf	Ethan Johnson	So.	Minnesota Crookston	Roseau, Minn.
Softball	Mikayla Jones	So.	Minnesota Crookston	Huxley, Iowa
Soccer	Gabby Kekke	Jr.	Minnesota Crookston	Argyle, Minn/.
M Golf	T'mone Kleindl	Jr.	Minnesota Crookston	Graceville, Minn.
MBB	Chase Knickerbocker	So.	Minnesota Crookston	Annandale, Minn.
Equestrian	Skyla Knudtson	So.	Minnesota Crookston	Blooming Prairie, Minn.
M Golf	Ben Koisti	So.	Minnesota Crookston	Lake Norden, S.D.
Football	Casey Kraska	Sr.	Minnesota Crookston	Stephen, Minn.
Equestrian	Julianna Langlois	So.	Minnesota Crookston	Hermantown, Minn.
W Golf	Kristi Larson	Sr.	Minnesota Crookston	New Ulm, Minn.
Volleyball	Sabrina Leuer	So.	Minnesota Crookston	Hamel, Minn.
MBB	Nate Lorenz	So.	Minnesota Crookston	Breckenridge, Minn.
Equestrian	Marissa Mancillas	Sr.	Minnesota Crookston	Brooksville, Fla.
Football	Drew McDurmin	Sr.	Minnesota Crookston	Aiea, Hawaii
WBB	Caitlin Michaelis	So.	Minnesota Crookston	Marshfield, Wis.
Softball	Maggie Morales	So.	Minnesota Crookston	Tucson, Ariz.
Volleyball	Alyssa Muelken	Jr.	Minnesota Crookston	Savage, Minn.
Baseball	Ethan Mushitz	Jr.	Minnesota Crookston	East Grand Forks, Minn.
Equestrian	Rhiannon Nicoll	Jr.	Minnesota Crookston	Rice, Minn.
WBB	Micaela Noga	Jr.	Minnesota Crookston	Parkers Prairie, Minn.
W Tennis	Tien Nguyen	Sr.	Minnesota Crookston	Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Equestrian	Mazie Pini	So.	Minnesota Crookston	Grayslake, Ill.
M Golf	Ricky Phillips	Sr.	Minnesota Crookston	Grand Forks, N.D.
Softball	Sam Rarick	So.	Minnesota Crookston	East Grand Forks, Minn.
Softball	Lexie Santoyo	So.	Minnesota Crookston	Kansas City, Mo.
Volleyball	Callie Schapekahm	So.	Minnesota Crookston	Eagan, Minn.
Baseball	Jeremy Spinner	Jr.	Minnesota Crookston	Phoenix, Ariz.
Volleyball	Sierra Trost	Sr.	Minnesota Crookston	Ham Lake, Minn.
Volleyball	Becca Vandenheuvel	Jr.	Minnesota Crookston	Cannon Falls, Minn.
Equestrian	Hannah Van Dyke	Sr.	Minnesota Crookston	Edgerton, Minn.
MBB	Darin Viken	So.	Minnesota Crookston	Fosston, Minn.
Equestrian	Katie Warner	Jr.	Minnesota Crookston	Warba, Minn.
WBB	Lindsey Weber	So.	Minnesota Crookston	Delafield, Wis.
Equestrian	Selena Young	So.	Minnesota Crookston	Plymouth, Minn.