BURNSVILLE, Minn. - The University of Minnesota Crookston had 14 student-athletes earn the prestigious NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction accolade as announced by the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. The honor, named for the late NCAA President Dr. Myles Brand, is bestowed to NSIC academic senior student-athletes who have a cumulative grade point average of 3.75 or higher (student-athletes can only earn the award once). Each student-athlete will be recognized by the NSIC with a certificate of achievement and a wristwatch.

"It brings me joy to continue to see how our student-athletes in the NSIC excel in the classroom, in the community and on the playing field. These are characteristics in which Dr. Myles Brand emphasized. I am extremely proud of all these student-athletes for their devotion to their universities, the NSIC and to their personal academic and athletic goals. I have no doubt these student-athletes will continue to achieve success in life well beyond the classroom and the competition venues," said Lind. 

Abby Fettinger (Sr., White Bear Lake, Minn.), Brooklyn Fischbach (Sr., South St. Paul, Minn.), Greta Saylor (Sr., New Brighton, Minn.), and Jada VanOverbeke (Sr., Hartford, S.D.) earned the accolade from the soccer program. Clara Hanson (Sr., Grand Forks, N.D.) received the accolade from the women's golf squad. Lukas Justesen (Sr., Detroit Lakes, Minn.) was bestowed the honor from the men's golf team. Kaydance Hinn (Sr., Coon Rapids, Minn.), and Blaike Zander (Sr., Bismarck, N.D.) from the tennis squad were honored. Ben Hoverson (Sr., Grand Forks, N.D.) from the men's basketball team received the accolade. Kailee Pollard (Sr., Marshalltown, Iowa), Evie Stuck (Sr., Papillion, Neb.), and Emerson Thompson (Sr., Lincoln, Neb.) from softball were bestowed the accolade. Sawyer Satrom (Sr., Portland, N.D.) received the honor, as did Bailey Schaefer (Brandon, S.D.) from volleyball. 

Dr. Myles N. Brand, visionary leader, educator and reformer, served as the President of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) from 2003-2009. He passed away in September 2009 at the age of 67 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Brand presided over passage of the most comprehensive academic reform package for intercollegiate athletics in recent history – a package that refocused the attention of student-athletes, coaches and administrators on the education of student-athletes. Brand also changed the national dialog on college sports to emphasize the educational value of athletics participation and the integration of intercollegiate athletics with the academic mission of higher education. His impact on Division II ran deep by implementing an identity campaign and a strategic-positioning platform tied to specific divisional attributes. He challenged Division II to continue its game environment and community engagement focus, and improve academic success rates. 

About the NSIC 

The NSIC is a 15-team, 18-sport, NCAA Division II conference with institutions located in Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The NSIC is a model Division II conference that uses high-level athletics competition to develop champions in the classroom and community while empowering student-athletes to be impactful and positive leaders. Formed in 1992 by the merger of the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (men's league) and the Northern Sun Conference (women's league), the NSIC has flourished over the past quarter century, maturing into a union of Upper Midwest colleges and universities. The NSIC has won 27 team national championships and crowned 116 individual national champions. For additional information, visit NorthernSun.org. 

About NCAA Division II 

The NCAA, the national governing body for college athletics, is a volunteer association of more than 1,000 colleges and universities that classify their athletics programs in one of three membership divisions. The 300+ institutions in NCAA Division II support a balanced approach in which student-athletes can earn scholarships based on their athletic ability, pursue their desired academic degree, and participate in all the campus and surrounding community have to offer. Division II student-athletes annually graduate at rates higher than their student body peers, and they have access to the best championships-participant ratio among the NCAA's three divisions. Division II gives student-athletes the unique opportunity to compete in the classroom, on the field, in their career, for their causes, and on their terms. For additional information, visit NCAA.org.