Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Commissioner Erin Lind is proud to announce the 11th annual NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award winners. Upper Iowa boasts the highest number of award winners among the sixteen member institutions with 23.
 
"I am filled with pride on how our student-athletes in the NSIC continue to excel in the classroom, in the community and on the playing field. We continue to increase the number of student-athletes that have earned the Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award, which is a testament to the dedication of the student-athletes, coaches and administrators in our league. 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," said Lind.
 
The honor, named for the late NCAA President Dr. Myles Brand, is bestowed to senior NSIC student-athletes who have a cumulative grade point average of 3.75 or higher, are exhausting their eligibility and are on track to graduate. Each student-athlete will be recognized by the NSIC with a certificate of achievement and a wristwatch. Furthermore, each institution is highly encouraged to have these student-athletes be publicly recognized at a home athletic event. A record number 194 student-athletes from the NSIC's 16 institutions will receive the award in its 11th year, 38 more than last year's record of 156.
 
The 23 Peacock award winners were spread between nine different teams, with six from baseball, five from women's track and field, four from volleyball, two from women's soccer and softball, and one from women's basketball, men's golf, women's golf and football. This senior class claims the highest total of award winners in the eleven-year history of the award for UIU.
 
Upper Iowa's Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award Winners (23)

Ashley Brady	Track & Field	Central City, Iowa	Biology
Molly Doran	Soccer	Wheaton, Ill.	Accounting
Nolan Friedrichs	Baseball	Edina, Minn.	Public Administration
Breyanna Hill	Track & Field	Oskaloosa, Iowa	Elementary Education
Caitlin Himes	Track & Field	Tipton, Iowa	Athletic Training
Gabby Holmes	Volleyball	Algona, Iowa	Biology
Carlee Ketchum	Volleyball	Manchester, Iowa	Elementary Education
Conner Klostermann	Baseball	Dyersville, Iowa	Secondary Education
Parker Kray	Baseball	Monticello, Iowa	Agricultural Business
Clayton Lieb	Baseball	Pearl City, Ill.	Business Administration
Kortney Lightfoot	Track & Field	Dubuque, Iowa	Criminal Justice
Jayna Morikawa	Soccer	Mililani, Hawaii	Business
Kennedy Newell	Softball	Slater, Iowa	Business Management
Billy O'Neill	Football	Mason City, Iowa	Environmental Science
Bekka Pierson	Basketball	Shell Rock, Iowa	Elementary Education
Logan Schweinefus	Golf	Ossian, Iowa	Agricultural Business
Michaela Schumacher	Softball	Whitewater, Wis.	Exercise Science
Makenzie Soeken	Track & Field	Ely, Iowa	Physical Education/Health
Dalton Steere	Baseball	Waverly, Iowa	Finance/Business Management
Julia Szepieniec	Golf	Eau Claire, Wis.	Chemistry
Jack Thode	Baseball	Cedar Falls, Iowa	Marketing/Exercise & Sports Studies
Haley Weepie	Volleyball	Fairbank, Iowa	Elementary Education
Anna Winter	Volleyball	Rochester, Minn.	Chemistry/Math

 
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.