BURNSVILLE, MN – A school-record 22 University of Mary scholar-athletes have earned the prestigious Northern Sun Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award for 2025.
 
One of the highest honors awarded by the NSIC, earning the Myles Brand Award for their academic and athletic success are Elizabeth Acheson, Gavin Argent, Logan Barrett, Alyssa Becker, Jaydon Coley, Chloe Chong Zhi Jing, Ilona Freitag, Andrijana Fundak, Eli Heinrich, Akil Howell, Andi Hunsicker, Reyna Isenbart, Kayla Lewinski, Kristine Kalthoff, Hunter Keller, Mo Malone, Kelsey Mischel, Rachael Neu, Mason Phillips, Addison Rozell, Ryleigh Wacha and Ryan Woroniecki.
 
Twelve different Marauders sports are represented by the 2025 UMary Myles Brand recipients.
 
Elizabeth Acheson | Women's Cross Country/Track & Field | Northfield, Minn. | Catholic Studies
Gavin Argent | Men's Golf | Minot, N.D. | Mechanical Engineering
Logan Barrett | Men's Golf | Bismarck, N.D. | Communication
Alyssa Becker | Women's Cross Country/Track & Field | Seabeck, Wash. | Nursing
Jaydon Coley | Football | Moorhead, Minn. | Nursing
Chloe Chong Zhi Jing | Tennis | Selangor, Malaysia | Computer Science
Ilona Freitag | Tennis | Le Locle, Switzerland | Biomechanics
Andrijana Fundak | Women's Cross Country/Track & Field | Richland, Wash. | Respiratory Therapy
Eli Heinrich | Football | Kindred, N.D. | Biomechanics
Akil Howell | Men's Track & Field | Bridgetown, Barbados | Financial Services and Banking
Andi Hunsicker | Soccer | Douglas, Wyo. | Physical Education
Reyna Isenbart | Volleyball | Stratton, Colo. | Psychology
Kayla Lewinski | Volleyball | Menomonee Falls, Wis. | Business Administration, Marketing
Kristine Kalthoff | Women's Cross Country/Track & Field | Albany, Minn. | Civil Engineering
Hunter Keller | Men's Golf | Bismarck, N.D. | Biomechanics
Mo Malone | Soccer | Placentia, Calif. | Business Administration
Kelsey Mischel | Softball | Bismarck, N.D. | Physical Therapy
Rachael Neu | Women's Cross Country/Track & Field | Albany, Minn. | Occupational Therapy
Mason Phillips | Football | Gilbert, Ariz. | Financial Services and Banking
Addison Rozell | Women's Basketball | Redfield, Wash. | Biology, Psychology
Ryleigh Wacha | Women's Basketball | Fargo, N.D. | Exercise Science
Ryan Woroniecki | Football | Hebron, N.D. | Physical Therapy
 
Over the course of 16 years, 161 UMary student-athletes have earned the Myles Brand Award. This year's total of 22 recipients is the largest number of Marauders honored in a single year, eclipsing the previous high of 20 Myles Brand honorees in 2023.
 
Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Commissioner Erin Lind today announced the 16th annual NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award winners. 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.
 
A total of 263 student-athletes from the NSIC's 15 institutions earned the award.
 
"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," said NSIC Commissioner Erin Lind. "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."
 
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 25 team national championships and crowned 111 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.
 
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