BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) recognized three Bethel winter sport student athletes with the Elite 22 Award. Gabe Siler won it for men's basketball, Andrew Revering was the men's hockey recipient while for the second straight season Annessa Ihde was honored in track and field. 

The MIAC Elite 22 Award recognizes the true essence of the term "student-athlete" by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the conference championship level in their sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among their peers. Modeled after the NCAA Elite 90 Award, the MIAC Elite 22 Award is presented to the student-athlete with the highest grade-point average (GPA) in each sport who meets similarly high, sport-specific athletic requirements.

In all sports with MIAC team postseason tournaments, including basketball and hockey, the MIAC Elite 22 Award is presented to the individual with the highest GPA on the active postseason roster of a playoff-qualifying team. In swimming & diving and indoor track & field, the winner is the individual with the highest GPA who was named All-Conference. Each winner must be a junior or senior and in at least their second full academic year at their current institution. Ties are broken by the number of credits earned at current institutions.

Gabe Siler saw action in 25 games for the Royals this season, averaging 11.4 minutes per game and shooting 0.404 (21-for-52) from the floor on the season. Off the court, he has maintained a 4.0 GPA while majoring in biokinetics at Bethel.

Andrew Revering picked up six assists in 24 games for the Royals this season from his defender position. Off the ice, he is a biology major with a 4.0 GPA at BU. 

Annessa Ihde tallied an individual conference title in the 800-meter run, a relay championship in the 4x400, and a runner-up finish in the 600 meters at the 2024 MIAC Indoor Track & Field Championships. Ihde has maintained a 4.0 GPA at Bethel while triple-majoring in international relations, Spanish, and history. This is Ihde's third straight Elite 22 honor in indoor track & field and fourth overall, having also received the honor in outdoor track & field last spring.