MIAC RELEASE
ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced its Winter and Spring 2011-12 Academic All-Conference honorees late Thursday, where more than 400 student-athletes from the league's 13 member institutions were recognized for their contributions on the field and their excellence in the classroom. Of the 449 total conference student-athletes, 32 were Bethel University students.
The overall group was the second-highest total in conference history, behind 2010-11's 454 in the winter and spring. The MIAC reported that combined with the fall's 301 honorees, an even 750 student-athletes were awarded throughout the entire 2011-12 school year. This again trails the 2010-11 season that finished with 759 honorees.
In order to receive this prestigious award student-athletes had to be sensational in the classroom. Only sophomores, juniors, and seniors are eligible and must record a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 on a scale of 4.0. Additionally, student-athletes must participate in at least 50 percent of their team's regular-season varsity contests.
Team sports that were eligible for this accomplishment were baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's hockey, softball, and men's and women's tennis. Indoor and outdoor track and field athletes must finish in the top eight in an individual event or be on a top three relay team at the MIAC Championships in order to be eligible.
MIAC Academic All-Conference awardees are announced twice annually, after the completion of the fall and spring semesters. The 2011-12 winter and spring Academic All-Conference honorees for Bethel University are listed below.
Baseball
Luke Schultz (So., Forest Lake, Minn.)
Men's Basketball
Kellan Dahlquist (Sr., St. Cloud, Minn.)
Quinn Gorski (So., Batavia, Ill.)
Eric Hildebrandt (Sr., Faribault, Minn.)
Bjorn Westlund (Jr., Mounds View, Minn.)
Kyle Zimmerman (So., Champlin, Minn.)
Women's Basketball
Nicole Berscheid (So., Holdingford, Minn.)
Alicia Montbriand (Jr., Alexandria, Minn.)
Kristi Nye (Jr., Brentwood, Tenn.)
Micaella Petrich (So., Rosemount, Minn.)
Kelly Swenson (Jr., Dawson, Minn.)
Katelyn Thomsen (So., Askov, Minn.)
Women's Hockey
Rachael Geng (Sr., South St. Paul, Minn.)
Casie Ecklund (So., Twig, Minn.)
Charise Kendrick (So., Scandia, Minn.)
Cristina Masten (So., Fergus Falls, Minn.)
Melanie Robertson (So., Plymouth, Minn.)
Missy Vavra (Jr., Minnetonka, Minn.
Softball
Genna Bock (Sr., Circle Pines, Minn.)
Rachel Gilbert (Jr., Becker, Minn.)
Cristina Masten (So., Fergus Falls, Minn.)
Megan Matson (Jr., Mound, Minn.)
Men's Tennis
Bryce Johnson (Sr., Blaine, Minn.)
Kent Nichols (Sr., Zimmerman, Minn.)
Steven Schull (So., Eagan, Minn.)
Women's Tennis
Charise Kendrick (So., Scandia, Minn.)
Lisa Scheevel (Jr., St. Cloud, Minn.)
Kayla Wheeler (Jr., Oakdale, Minn.)
Women's Indoor Track
Nicole Berscheid (So., Holdingford, Minn.)
Rachel Kalk (So., Isanti, Minn.)
Steph Skoog (So., Richfield, Minn.)
Women's Outdoor Track
Rachel Kalk (So., Isanti, Minn.)
