Eight Women's Soccer Players receive Academic All-Conference Recognition

The mission of NCAA Division III athletics is to provide student-athletes with an opportunity to excel on the field, in the classroom, and within the greater community. Our program philosophy emanates from this mission and is grounded in encouraging and supporting our student-athletes to be the best individuals they can be in all aspects of their lives. Our success as a program is not measured solely by a win-loss record, but also by all the accomplishments of our women’s soccer players. The number one reason our student-athletes are attending Gustavus is to receive a quality education, which means we make it a top priority to ensure our players are succeeding in the classroom. And here's proof, our women's soccer team led the way for Gustavus Athletics fall sports with eight MIAC Academic All-Conference honorees. It's also great to note that Women's Soccer, with 83, had the most of any sport across the MIAC, while football was in a close second with 81 honorees.

Congrats to our Gustavus Women's Soccer Players!

MIAC Releases Fall Academic All-Conference Teams, 25 Gusties Honored 

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honored the league’s top performers in athletics and in the classroom with the announcement of the 2015 Fall Academic All-Conference Teams on Friday.

This fall, a record total of 359 student-athletes earned the prestigious honor, which recognizes combined excellence in academics and athletics. The previous record of 356 was established just one year ago (2014).

Of the 359 Academic All-Conference selections from the fall, 25 were representatives of Gustavus Adolphus College. The breakdown of Gustavus’s honorees included three men’s cross country runners, five women’s cross country runners, three football players, two men’s soccer players, eight women’s soccer players, and four volleyball players.

To earn Academic All-Conference honors, MIAC student-athletes must be a sophomore, junior or senior with a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale while also meeting sport-specific athletic requirements, making the award a perfect blend of the balanced excellence championed by the MIAC and NCAA Division III.

Athletically, student-athletes in team sports must compete in 50 percent of their team’s regular-season varsity contests. The team sports eligible were football, volleyball, men’s soccer and women’s soccer. Cross country student-athletes were required to finish in the overall top 100 or their team’s top seven at the 2015 MIAC Cross Country Championship.

MIAC Release

Women’s Soccer (8)

Brittany Chase (Sr., Victoria, Minn.)

Molly Johnston (So., Mendota Heights, Minn.)

Kendyl Landeck (Jr., Moscow, Idaho)

Sophie Leininger (So., Plymouth, Minn.)

Josie Mazzone (So., Rapid City, S.D.)

Emily Odermatt (So., Minneapolis, Minn.)

Monica Pelkey (Jr., Oak Grove, Minn.)

Hannah Sturtz (So., Plymouth, Minn.)

Men’s Cross Country (3)

John Benson (Jr., Moorhead, Minn.)

Carston Dammann (So., Lake City, Minn.)

Samuel Renier (Sr., Cambridge, Minn.)

Women’s Cross Country (5)

Mata Agre (Sr., Medina, Minn.)

Lydia Hayes (So., Decorah, Iowa)

Lauren Shurson (Sr, Chanhassen, Minn.)

Marit Sonnesyn (Sr., Plymouth, Minn.)

Stephanie Welke (Jr., Tomahawk, Wis.)

Football (3)

Tyler Jakes (Jr., North Mankato, Minn.)

Marcus Kelly (Sr., Woodbury, Minn.)

Kyle Krzmarzick (Sr., Sleepy Eye, Minn.)

Men’s Soccer (2)

Eli Bjerk (Sr., Stillwater, Minn.)

John Fox (Sr., Maple Grove, Minn.)


Volleyball (4)

Abilene Leitch (So., Mankato, Minn.)

Kelle Nett (Sr., Spring Valley, Ill.)

Alyssa Taylor (Sr., Trimont, Minn.)

Rebecca Woodstra (Sr., Minnetonka, Minn.)