MIAC Story

ARDEN HILLS, Minn. -- The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) has built a reputation as one of the nation's premier men's basketball leagues, as well as one of the most competitive. Because of the tremendous amount of talent in the league, it has long been an "upperclassman's league"—a league where the "stars" were seniors and juniors.

As a result, the MIAC Player-of-the-Year award is mostly given to a senior, with a few juniors and the rare sophomore in the mix. Even the league's 18-man All-Conference team is normally top-heavy with senior and juniors. In fact, before this season's seniors were freshmen, only eight freshmen had ever earned All-MIAC First Team honors.

Then along came Brycen Wojta. Though he wasn't one of the most talked about incoming freshmen in the fall of 2013, Wojta made his presence known from Day One at Bethel University. He dropped 21 points apiece on UW-Stout and UW-Eau Claire in his first two games of what has been an illustrious collegiate career. Wojta quickly went from a relatively unheralded frosh to one of the most formidable players in the MIAC. He put together a season to which only an elite handful of freshmen in MIAC history can compare. He was honored by the league's coaches with a selection to the All-MIAC First Team, the first frosh to do so since 2005-06. (The following season his teammate Bridgeport Tusler became the 10th and most-recent rookie to land a spot on the All-MIAC team.)

Doug Novak took over the head coaching reins at Bethel late in the summer of 2013, by which time Wojta had been recruited and committed to BU. He first met Wojta after he was hired. "[Brycen] was working at a camp at Bethel," he recalled. "He was a quiet young man - he still is - but was very mature for a freshman. We were blessed to have him here and he was fortunate to have a great group of seniors that year. They could see he was respectful of the game and his teammates and accepted him, even though in some cases he was taking their playing time. They could see how much better the team was with him on the court and respected him and his talent. They worked with him and helped him grow and have a tremendous first season."

What makes Wojta's emergence that season all the more spectacular is that he was recruited more as a football player than for basketball. At Maple Grove High, Wojta was a versatile performer on the gridiron as well as a standout on the hard court. He was a three-year starter for the Crimson, and showed off his versatility at wide receiver, running back, corner back, punt returner and kicker. He even started at quarterback as a senior. He was named to the All-Conference team as a junior and as a senior and was All-Area and All-State Honorable Mention as a senior. As a senior, he was also named Conference Special Teams Player-of-the-Year. The Crimson were unbeaten until the Section championship game in Wojta's senior year, where they fell to Minnetonka.

On the basketball court, Wojta was a four-year starter at point guard. After garnering All-Conference Honorable Mention as a ninth grader, he went on to be a three-time All-Conference and All-Section selection.  He added All-State Honorable Mention as a junior and senior, as well as All-Metro distinction. In his sophomore season, Wojta led Maple Grove to the quarterfinals of the State Class 4A tourney. As a senior, Wojta led the state in assists. Maple Grove did not advance out of their Section the next two seasons, running into a powerhouse team from Cooper both years. Wojta graduated as the career scoring leader at MGHS.

Outside of sports, Wojta made the straight "A" honor roll and was part of the National Honor Society. He was active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and volunteered at his church. He was active in missionary work and participated in missionary trips. He also coached youth basketball and football.

While he enjoyed more personal success on the hardcourt, he was pursued by more college football coaches, drawing attention from many of the Division II schools in the Northern Sun. There were even conversations with some D-I schools about a "preferred walk-on" slot. "I was told I wasn't big enough to play D-I," he recalled.

Division II basketball coaches talked to him about walking on, too. A number of Division III schools expressed interest in him for both sports; he was mainly recruited by the University of Northwestern, Bethel, Gustavus, Saint John's and St. Thomas. Of them, Bethel and Northwestern both stressed they would make accommodations if he wanted to play football and basketball.

He had gone to basketball camps at Bethel since he was in seventh grade and was very familiar with the campus, facilities and then-Head Coach Jeff Westlund. "But back then, I dreamed of being a [Wisconsin] Badger," Wojta recalled with a smile. "I never really heard about any Division III schools then"

As the recruiting process went on, Wojta began to gravitate to the Division III options. "I came to a realization that there was more to college than playing sports," he said. "I came to the decision that I didn't want to go to a D-II school because I didn't want my life for four years to be just my sport."

Ultimately, his decision tipped to Bethel for a number of reasons. "I liked the Christian Family of Faith here for one thing," he said. "I also liked the educational programs and opportunities at Bethel. But the biggest thing was the community at Bethel, both among the team and athletes and also the overall community. What I felt at BU was not replicated anywhere else. I really felt connected with the people here. I liked how they had the balance of school with athletics, a balance I wanted for myself."

Shortly after Wojta made his decision, it was announced that Westlund would not be returning as the head coach of the BU program. While many incoming recruits would have given serious thought to changing schools, Wojta never really considered it. Over the summer, he met the newly hired Novak and they hit it off. "We developed a relationship," Wojta said. "[it is] a good, solid relationship. He brings the faith aspect into everything and wants to help us become better men, as well as winning ballgames."

As fall approached, Wojta decided to forgo football. "I didn't want to focus too much on sports, and I knew I'd need time for academics," he explained.

Wojta kicked his freshman season off with a bang. He scored in double-digits in eight of Bethel's first nine games and had a four-game 20-point streak in conference play in January. All told, he reached double figures in 19 of the Royals' 27 games.

With Wojta manning the point, Bethel posted a 9-11 record in MIAC play to finish in sixth place and earn the final berth in the MIAC Playoffs. They upended third-seeded Augsburg 70-67 before falling to regular-season champ St. Thomas 74-59 in the semifinals. BU's season ended with a 14-13 record.

Wojta had a phenomenal season. He finished sixth in the MIAC in scoring (conference games only) with a 14.3 average. He was second in the league in steals with 40, and sixth in field goals made (108) and free throw accuracy (81.3%). Overall, his 15.0 points per game average led the Royals. He was a lock for the five-man MIAC All-Freshman Team and was named to the All-MIAC First Team.

The summer after that season, Wojta was asked to be on a team of Division III players from across the country that represented the United States on a goodwill tour of Brazil. The program, which finished its seventh trip this past summer, is an opportunity for select D-III student-athletes to experience their game on an international stage while promoting the game and fellowship between the US and Brazil. Their trip was shortly after the World Cup was held in Brazil. They played four games in four cities and stayed mainly in the Rio area. The Americans also did a fair amount of sightseeing.

"This is an incredible opportunity that I am really looking forward to," Wojta said at the time. "Being a part of Bethel's program and learning from my teammates awarded me this invitation and I am blessed to partake in this international experience. My hope is that it will further develop my leadership skills and allow me to bring back a better understanding of the game."

He was a natural fit to the high-energy, up-tempo motion offense Novak installed at Bethel, a system rather unique in the MIAC. In the wake of Westlund's departure, there was speculation that BU might struggle, but the combination of upper class leadership and Wojta prevented that.

The Royals improved to 13-7 and fourth place in the MIAC in Wojta's sophomore season. In the MIAC Playoffs, BU downed Concordia 71-53 and toppled St. Olaf 75-67. They fell to St. Thomas 66-63 in the Championship game to close their year 19-9.

Again, Wojta ranked sixth in the league in scoring with a 14.3 average, was second in the league in free throw accuracy (84.9%) and led the MIAC in minutes played and minutes per game. He was a repeat All-MIAC First Team selection and was named to the D3hoops.com All-Region team.

As the 2015-16 season started up, the Royals were among the favorites to challenge for the MIAC crown.  In one of Bethel's pre-season practices in October, Wojta sprained an MCL and had to sit out to weeks. He was back in time for their first scrimmage, but in practice the next day, "I felt something give in my knee," he said.

The knee was examined and it was determined that Wojta had a bucket handle tear of his right meniscus. In a bucket handle tear, the attachments of the meniscus remain intact, and the torn portion of the meniscus pulls into the center of the joint. "This was a bit of a beak," Wojta said. "I had it surgically removed, did some rehab over the next month or so and was able to return by our last game before the Christmas break, against Saint John's. Had it been a different type of tear, I could have missed a lot of the season."

The Royals posted a 12-8 record in MIAC play, good enough for fourth place and a berth in the MIAC Playoffs. They defeated Concordia 67-62 before falling to eventual national champion St. Thomas 63-46 in the semifinals. They ended up 18-9 overall.

Wojta, who missed 15 percent of the MIAC season due to the knee injury, was named All-MIAC Honorable Mention as he posted a 13.8 ppg scoring average, and had 29 steals (fourth in the MIAC).

"He did a tremendous job coming back from surgery as quickly and completely as he did," stated Novak. ""He wasn't at full speed but was still a vital weapon for us. He was very mature about it and never complained or used the knee as an excuse.

"That's part of his mental toughness. He is very confident in himself and his abilities but does not cross over into arrogance. He doesn't make repeated mistakes and never loses his quiet calmness. It has been fun to watch him develop and grow."

This year, the knee is sound and expectations are high in Arden Hills, as Bethel is a favorite to win their first-ever MIAC regular-season title. In the MIAC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll the Royals and defending camp St. Thomas separated from the pack with the Royals finishing one vote behind the Tommies (95-94). "Winning the conference is one of our goals for this season, as is winning the league Playoffs." stated Wojta. "We want to make a run in the national tourney, too, but our first focus is on winning the MIAC."

Should they win the MIAC regular season crown, it would be the first title for Bethel. A trip to the NCAA tourney would be the second in school history, and the first since 1991.

The Royal should be very tough, with a formidable lineup that includes Wojta, Tusler, Derek Magnuson and Trevor Hall, all veterans of at least one MIAC campaign. They tip off the season this weekend by playing in a very competitive tournament at Wheaton College in Chicago. Their first-round opponent is Heidelberg University. The Royals begin MIAC play on November 29 when they travel to St. Olaf, which won the MIAC Playoff title last season.

Entering his senior season, Wojta ranks 20th among Bethel's all-time scoring leaders with 1,084 points; with a strong season, he could move up to as high as sixth place. He has 230 career assists and should close out his career in the top five in BU history.

He has been a two-time Academic All-MIAC honoree, earning the distinction following his sophomore and junior years.

Off the court, Wojta is a Biokinetics major with a 3.58 GPA and will graduate in May. "That's the study of human physical movement," he explained. "It is a common major for people wanting to go into athletic training, physical training and physical therapy."

Wojta plans to use his major to become a PA, or Physician's Assistant. "A PA is very similar to a doctor, except that they can't perform surgeries," he said. "A PA is part of the care team alongside the MDs and nurse and others. They examine patients, diagnose illnesses and develop and carry out treatment plans."

He will take the GRE in the spring of 2017 and then will take 2016-17 off from academics, working in some capacity that involves direct care patient, perhaps in a group home or as a personal assistant.  He will apply to PA schools, most likely somewhere in the Midwest and begin the three-year PA program in the fall of 2017.

Away from the court and classroom, Wojta has been active in the BU chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and has been part of the group's leadership team for three years. He has been a peer mentor for Biokinetics majors and works at the Wellness Assessment lab. Wojta is involved in the Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) this year. He also has worked as part of the "chain gang" for home BU football games.

Reflecting on his choice of colleges, Wojta is more than happy with how being at Bethel has turned out for him. "I've been blessed here with great experiences in athletics, academics and faith," he said. "I've formed some amazing relationships, not only with teammates and other athletes but with faculty, staff and other members of the student community.

"Coming in, my main goals were sports, sports and more sports. Being here has opened my eyes, and allowed me to focus on multiple aspects of my life. It opened me to a career idea and helped me develop into the man I've become."