BURNSVILLE, Minn. – The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference announced today that Southwest Minnesota State University junior volleyball student-athlete Whitney Burmeister has been named the 2015 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Willis R. Kelly Scholar-Athlete Award recipient. The award—now in its 30^th year—recognizes the NSIC's top female student-athlete. Kowan O'Keefe from Minot State University was named the Dr. William Britton Scholar-Athlete winner as the top male student-athlete.
 
It's the second straight year SMSU has earned the honor and seventh in school history. Rachel Patnoe received the award last year joining Christy Kubat (2002), Janelle Gibbs (1999), Paige Karno (1996), Katy Pivec (1995) and Shauna Wendland (1989) as the previous Mustang female student-athletes honorees. SMSU has had two male student-athletes earn the Britton award, Bruce Saugstad (1989) and Tyler Fischer (2007 & 2008).
 
The 32 student-athletes nominated for the NSIC's two most prestigious awards will also be honored as NSIC Male and Female Honor Student-Athletes of the Year at their respective institutions. O'Keefe and Burmeister will be recognized July 15 at the NSIC Hall of Fame Banquet at the Best Western Premier in Burnsville, Minn. O'Keefe and Burmeister will each receive a $2,500 post-graduate scholarship.
 
A native of Lakefield, Minn., Burmeister is majoring in exercise science. A 2012 graduate of Jackson County Central High School, she holds a 3.98 grade point average as a three-year member of the SMSU volleyball team.
 
Burmeister has made the SMSU Dean's List every semester and has been named an SMSU Scholar-Athlete and Academic All-NSIC honoree the last two years.
 
Burmeister is the recipient of over a dozen scholarships at SMSU and is involved in many clubs and organizations. She has been the vice president for the SMSU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) the past two years and has been a student-worker for the SMSU Faculty Association and Inter Faculty Organization the past three years. She is also a member of the Biology Club, serving as their public relations officer the past year. Other clubs include the Environmental Awareness Club and the Exercise Science Club. She also worked closely with the SMSU Relay for Life Team and with the "It's A Slam Dunk, Don't Drive Drunk Campaign", which received the highest amount of pledges of any NSIC school the past three years.
 
Burmeister is a Literacy Tutor through Literacy Volunteers of Southwest Minnesota and volunteers at Campus and Community Connect VISTA, the Swimming with English Language Learners, Christian Band Performances, Adopt-A-Highway, Marshall Food Shelf Collection and SMSU volleyball camps.
 
On the volleyball court, Burmeister has been a member of three NCAA tournament teams, including the 2014 squad that finished as the NCAA national runner-up. This past fall she was named to the all-tournament team at both the NCAA Central Region Tournament and NCAA Championships. She finished the 2014 season leading SMSU with 612 digs, ranking as the sixth highest total in team history. She also recorded 97 kills and 30 service aces, while appearing in all 36 matches.
 
Burmeister has played in 88 matches during her career, recording 1,128 digs, 428 kills and 94 service aces. She currently ranks seventh in program history with 3.57 digs per set.
 
The Britton Award was created in 1985 in honor of Dr. William Britton, a longtime faculty representative at Bemidji State University. The Kelly Award is named in honor of Willis R. Kelly, an associate professor of physical education at the University of Minnesota, Morris. A member of the NSIC Hall of Fame, Kelly also coordinated the Minnesota-Morris Physical Education Department from 1970-87. She became the first director of women's intercollegiate athletics at Minnesota-Morris in 1976 and was later promoted to athletic director for the whole department. Kelly passed away in 1988.
 
The member institutions of the NSIC nominate one male and one female student-athlete for the Britton and Kelly Awards. The nominees must meet the following criteria: a grade point average of 3.5 or better (on a 4.0 scale); evidence of academic excellence beyond the minimum grade point average (scholarship prizes and other academic recognition), evidence of participation in the life of the institution, and evidence of participation in at least two-thirds of the varsity events of the individual's primary sport. The award is voted on by the NSIC Faculty Athletic Representatives.