Tigers earn 10 NAIA Scholar Athlete Awards

MITCHELL, S.D. – With the 2014 fall sports season winding down, Dakota Wesleyan University athletes have been racking up the honors in the postseason, this time for their work in the classroom.

Daktronics and the NAIA have named 10 Tiger athletes from four teams National Scholar Athlete award winners for the fall of 2014, it was announced over the last week.

In order to be nominated by an institution's head coach or sports information director, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale and must have achieved a junior academic status.

Leading the way for the Tigers was the men's soccer team with six players named scholar athletes for 2014. Senior Bryce Berletic (Rochester, Minn.) has a 3.68 GPA and is majoring in athletic training, junior Sterling Hubbard (Jamestown, N.D.) has a 3.68 GPA and is majoring in athletic training, junior Travis Moodie (Pierre, S.D.) is a 4.0 student and is majoring in biology, junior Tyson Moodie (Pierre, S.D.) I majoring in history with a 3.93 GPA, junior Zach Schneider (Sioux Falls, S.D.) is a 3.85 student and is majoring in athletic training and senior Jon Weiger (Waubay, S.D.) is a history major with a 3.84 GPA.

The DWU women's soccer team had two players named Daktronics-NAIA Scholar Athletes. Senior forward Thara Ali Said (Muscat, Oman) is majoring in math and graphic design with a 3.81 GPA, while senior midfielder Kylie Keiser (Sioux Falls, S.D.) maintains a 3.67 GPA and is a biology major.

Volleyball and women's cross country each had one athlete named to the list of their respective sport, including junior volleyball player Mackenzie Stevens (Polk, Neb.), who has a 3.52 GPA and is a communications major. Junior cross country runner Haley Brunke (Scotland, S.D.) is a 4.0 student and biology major.

The members of the Daktronics-NAIA Scholar Athlete Football Team will be announced later this month.