ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference today announced its list of 2008 Honor Student-Athlete and Scholarship award winners. Bemidji State University's Sheena Devine (Sr., North Branch, Minn.) was among its list of recipients. She was recognized as a 2007-08 NSIC Women's Honor Student-Athlete, respectively.

The league also announced Winona State University's Kallie Tellefsen as the 2008 Willis R. Kelly Scholar-Athlete Award recipient and Southwest Minnesota State University’s Tyler Fischer as the 2008 Dr. William Britton Scholar-Athlete Award winner. This is the second consecutive year that Fischer has been named the Dr. William Britton Scholar-Athlete Award recipient.

The Kelly Scholar-Athlete Award, in its 23rd year, is presented to the NSIC’s top female student-athlete, while the Britton Scholar-Athlete Award for Academic Excellence, is in its 24th year and recognizes the NSIC’s top male student-athlete

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 Britton Award was created in 1985 in honor of Dr. William Britton, a longtime faculty representative at Bemidji State University.

NSIC member institutions can nominate one male and one female student-athlete for the Britton and Kelly Awards. The nominees must carry a grade point average of 3.2 or better (on a 4.0 scale), exude evidence of academic excellence beyond the minimum grade point average (scholarship prizes and other academic recognition), participate in the life of the institution beyond athletes and participate in at least two-thirds of the varsity events of the individual’s primary sport.

The 18 student-athletes nominated for the NSIC’s two most prestigious awards are honored as NSIC Male and Female Honor Student-Athletes of the Year at their respective institutions. Fischer and Trautwein will be recognized Friday, July 25 at the 2008 NSIC Hall of Fame Banquet at the Best Western Kelly Inn and Convention Center in St. Cloud, Minn. Fischer and Tellefsen will each receive a $1000 post-graduate scholarship.

2007-08 NSIC Men’s Honor Student-Athlete Award Winners
Kirk Ingram, CSP, Jr., Baseball, Woodbury, Minn.
Kurt Rettig, UM, Sr., Cross Country/Track & Field, Medina, N.D.
Tyler Tubbs, MSUM, Sr., Wrestling, Chokia, Minn.
Craig Nelson, NSU, Sr., Basketball, Mayville, N.D.
Dan Goodson, UIU, Sr., Wrestling, Rochester, Minn.
Matt Rathje, WSC, Sr., Basketball, Watkins, Iowa
Kevin Loeffler, WSU, Sr., Golf, Caledonia, Minn.

2007-08 NSIC Women’s Honor Student-Athlete Award Winners
Sheena Devine, BSU, Sr., Track & Field, North Branch, Minn.
Katie LaViolette, CSP, Sr., Basketball, Manitowoc, Wis.
Ashley Maas, UM, Sr., Volleyball, Rapid City, S.D.
Ashley Roemer, MSUM, Sr., Track & Field, Maple Lake, Minn.
Theresa Crance, UMC, Sr., Volleyball/Basketball, Timber Lake, S.D.
Abby Oakland, SMSU, Sr., Basketball/Golf, Fulda, Minn.
Christi Schulte, NSU, Sr., Softball, Sioux Falls, S.D.
Lauren Smith, UIU, Sr., Soccer, Flint, Mich.
Emily Schroeder, WSC, Sr., Volleyball, Belden, Neb.

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