MIAC Release

ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced the 2008-09 MIAC Men's Basketball Awards today, March 5, 2009. Bethel University placed five individuals on the various all-conference teams, including Tim Madson (Sr., Redwood Falls, Minn.), Mike Moberg (Sr., Plymouth, Minn.), Chris Vavra (Jr., Cambridge, Minn.), Cory Laugen (Sr., Blaine, Minn.), and Rob Lang (Jr., Johnston, Iowa).

As part of a conference-wide sportsmanship initiative, the MIAC announced the third annual All-MIAC Sportsmanship team for men's basketball. Members of the All-MIAC Sportsmanship team are selected by their coaches and teammates as individuals who demonstrate ideals of positive sportsmanship both on and off the field of competition.

Madson has now earned All-MIAC first team honors for the third consecutive season. He finished the year averaging 18.9 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. His 511 points led the Royals and was second most in the MIAC.  Tim was also the leading free throw shooter in the conference, shooting better than 90 percent at the charity stripe. Madson has also earned athletic awards from the College Sporting News, D3hoops.com, and also an academic award from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). He is currently a Jostens Trophy finalist, which is bestowed upon the Division III player of the year.


Also receiving first team All-MIAC honors for the third season in a row is center Mike Moberg. Moberg finished the year averaging 12.2 points per game and 9.5 rebounds per game helped by season highs of 22 and 19 in the respective categories. He was second in the MIAC in rebounds and 11th overall in scoring.  He would also go on to average 1.89 blocks per game. Constantly an inside threat to score, Moberg's play helped Bethel reach the conference championship and earn a second place finish in the MIAC outright for the first time since joining the conference in the late 1970s. 


Vavra has been given this season's MIAC Sixth Man of the Year award as he averaged 8.8 points per game, shooting better than 41 percent from the field and 32 percent from behind the arc. The junior guard averaged 12 points per game in the MIAC playoffs and was the team's high scorer in the championship game against St. Thomas. Vavra posted a season high of 16 points against Hamline and had an assist to turnover ratio of 1.21 during the regular season.




Laugen was another driving force behind Bethel's success this season, allowing him to earn an All-MIAC Honorable Mention. The starting point guard scored a career high 313 points on the season, giving him an average of 11.6 points per game. Laugen also had an assist to turnover ratio of 1.4 during the regular season and was among the top three free throw shooters in conference play.





Lang is this season's delegate to the MIAC's All-Sportsmanship team for Bethel. The junior forward started all but three games for the Royals this season and averaged more than 19 minutes on the floor in addition to his 4.2 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. Lang made 50 percent of his shots and had a 1.4 assist to turnover ratio.