BURNSVILLE, Minn. – A total of 10 Southwest Minnesota State University student-athletes have earned the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award, NSIC Commissioner Erin Lind announced on Thursday. A record total of 263 student-athletes from the NSIC's 16 institutions received the award now in its 14th year, 19 more than last year's record of 242.
 
The award is given to senior student-athletes with a cumulative grade point average of 3.75 or higher and are on track to graduate. Each student-athlete will be recognized by the NSIC with a certificate of achievement and a wristwatch.
 
If the student-athlete elects to return for another year of competition during the 2023-24 academic year, per NCAA regulations concerning COVID-19, the student-athlete can only receive the award only one time. 
 
This year's honorees include volleyball player Alisa Bengen, softball player Shelby Bloemendaal, golfer Sally Gallagher, women's basketball player Madison Gehloff, women's track & field athlete Morgan Hughes, tennis player Courtenay Leonard, swimmer Juliana Villa, swimmer Addi Schroeder, men's track & field athlete Carl Swedzinski and women's basketball player Sam Wall.
 
"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," said Lind. "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."
 
Alisa Bengen, a biology major from Janesville, Iowa, was a four-year member of the volleyball program, was three-time academic All-NSIC honoree and was also named to the 2022 CoSIDA Academic All-District team. A 2022 All-NSIC second team honoree, she played in 80 career matches, recording 200 kills and 528 digs.
 
Shelby Bloemendaal, a health education major from Pipestone, Minn., has been a member of the softball program for four seasons and will be a three-time Academic All-NSIC honoree this spring. She has pitched in 52 career games earning 20 victories, while recording 145 strikeouts in 280 1/3 innings.
 
Sally Gallagher, a physical education major from Moville, Iowa, is in her fourth season with the women's golf program and will be a three-time Academic All-NSIC honoree this spring. A 2022 All-NSIC second team honoree, Gallagher has an 83.5 career stroke average in 56 rounds ranking eighth in school history.
 
Madison Gehloff, a management major from Waseca, Minn., has been a member of the women's basketball program for four seasons and will be a three-time Academic All-NSIC honoree this winter. She has played in 87 career games with 22 starts and has scored 445 points, connected 38 3-pointers and has grabbed 311 rebounds.
 
Morgan Hughes, a biology major from Sioux Falls, S.D., has been a member of the women's track & field program for four seasons and will be a three-time Academic All-NSIC honoree this spring. She competes during both the indoor and outdoor seasons. Her career best mark in the discus (41.34m) occurred at the 2022 NSIC Outdoor Championships.  
 
Courtenay Leonard, a psychology major from Albuquerque, N.M., has been a member of the women's tennis program for three seasons and will be a two-time Academic All-NSIC honoree this spring. She has recorded 22 career singles victories and 23 doubles wins in her career.
 
Addi Schroeder, a biology major from Hesston, Kan., has been a member of the women's swimming & diving program for four seasons and will be a three-time Academic All-NSIC this winter. She has several times that rank among the top five in school history, including 1:09.37 in the 100-yard breaststroke and 1:03.24 in the 100-yard individual medley, which both rank third in program history.
 
Carl Swedzinski, an ag solutions major from Milroy, Minn., has been a member of the men's track & field program for four seasons and will be a three-time Academic All-NSIC honoree this spring. He competes during both the indoor and outdoor seasons. He recorded a career best throw of 17.63m in the weight throw during the 2023 indoor season, while last spring he recorded a toss of 36.17m in the discus.   
 
Juliana Villa, a marketing major from Cali, Colombia, has been a member of the women's swimming & diving program for two seasons and is an Academic All-NSIC honoree. Earlier this season she recorded career best times of 25.23 in the 50-yard freestyle, 55.21 in the 100-yard freestyle and went 2:00.99 in the 200-yard freestyle.
 
Sam Wall, a physical education major from Delhi, Iowa, has been a member of the women's basketball program for four seasons and will be a three-time Academic All-NSIC honoree when announced this winter. Wall has appeared in 87 career games with 42 starts and has scored 645 points, while connecting on 132 3-pointers.
 
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