Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Commissioner Erin Lind is excited to announce the 13th annual NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award winners. Upper Iowa is represented by 24 Peacock student-athletes that earned the honor.

"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. 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. 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 (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 record number 238 student-athletes from the NSIC's 16 institutions will receive the award in its 13th year, 11 more than last year's record of 227.
 
The 24 Peacock award winners were spread between 12 different teams including baseball, men's basketball, women's cross country, men's cross country, football, women's golf, women's soccer, softball, women's track and field, men's track and field, volleyball and wrestling.
 
Upper Iowa's Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award Winners (24)

Name	Sport(s)	Hometown	Major
Matthew Hall	Baseball	Olathe, Kan.	History Education
Jason Katz	Baseball	Glendale, Ariz.	Master's of Public Administration
Jareese Williams	Men's Basketball	Mason City, Iowa	Master's of Business Administration
Cade Moritz	Men's Basketball	Norwalk, Iowa	Criminal Justice
Connor Duax	Men's Basketball	Dubuque, Iowa	Secondary Education
Joe Smoldt	Men's Basketball	Reinbeck, Iowa	Master's of Business Administration
Grant Dieken	Men's Cross Country/Track & Field	Clear Lake, Iowa	Secondary Education
Lane Canny	Football	Brownsdale, Minn.	Communications/Master-Sports Administration
Nolan Freeman	Football	Grundy Center, Iowa	Business Administration
Brian Sadler	Football	Jesup, Iowa	Secondary Education
Zach Wegmann	Football	Solon, Iowa	Conservation Management
Alex Schneider	Football	Waterloo, Iowa	Criminal Justice
Jack Beulke	Football	Wanamingo, Minn.	Sports Communication
Ryan Faught	Wrestling	Clear Lake, Iowa	Teacher Leadership
Brianna Crouch	Women's Cross Country/Track & Field	Omaha, Neb.	Master's of Sports Administration
Madison Brownrigg	Women's Cross Country/Track & Field	Cleveland, Ohio	Secondary Education
MacKayla Olsen	Women's Golf	Stewartville, Minn.	Human Resources
Kaitlyn MacCharles	Women's Golf	Onalaska, Wis.	Psychology
Jaden Schweinefus	Women's Golf	Ossian, Iowa	Elementary Ed
MacKenzie Olsen	Women's Golf	Stewartville, Minn.	Business/Marketing
Natalie Rudrud	Women's Soccer	Oak Grove, Minn.	Marketing
Aimee Sies	Women's Soccer	Brooklyn, Wis.	Sports Administration
Sydney Wilcox	Women's Softball	Shiocton, Wis.	Business Administration
Kaitlin Niedert	Women's Volleyball	Independence, Iowa	Elementary Education

 
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.