Release courtesy of Butch Raymond (Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference)

BURNSVILLE, Minn. -- Sixteen regional winners of the NCAA Division II Conference Commissioners Association Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award have been announced today.  A male and female Division II Scholar-Athlete of the Year will be selected from the 16 regional winners, eight men and eight women. 

This award, sponsored by the Division II Conference Commissioners Association, provides the opportunity for Division II to highlight the extraordinary achievements of its student-athletes.  DII CCA President and Commissioner of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Butch Raymond noted that the award showcases the academic and athletic talent at the NCAA Division II level.  “The CCA Scholar-Athlete Awards exemplify the balance between academics and athletics that is the cornerstone of Division II”, explained Raymond.

The commissioners from the regions that comprise the Division II basketball alignment selected the regional winners.  To be nominated for consideration, a student-athlete must have attained a 3.0 cumulative grade point average and possess outstanding athletic credentials. 

Women’s Regional Winners

Shannon Gagne – University of New Haven – Track & Field – Criminal Justice (3.93U/3.95GR)
Neely Spence – Shippensburg – Cross Country/Track & Field – Human Communications Studies (3.87)
Kate Griewisch – Lenoir-Rhyne – Cross Country/Track & Field – Biology (3.81)
Barbi Pocza – Barry University – Women’s Tennis – Finance (3.71)
Lindsay Lettow – University of Central Missouri – Track & Field – Psychology/Spanish minor (3.73)
Samantha Murphy – Grand Canyon – Basketball – Pre-Physical Therapy (3.97)
Rebecca Anderson – University of Minnesota Duluth – Soccer – Biochemistry/Molecular Biology (3.939)
Monica Kinney – Grand Valley State – Track & Field – Nursing (3.78)

Men’s Regional Winners

Vladimir Milosavljevic – Dowling College – Soccer – Accounting and Finance (4.0)
Ian Wild – Mercyhurst – Football/Lacrosse – Business (3.905)
Carter Capps – Mount Olive – Baseball – Environmental Science (3.46)
Daniel Stapff – Barry University – Golf – Finance (3.917)
Kirk Jewasko – Incarnate Word – Baseball – Business Administration (3.83)
Kyle Ciliento – Grand Canyon – Soccer – Business Administration (3.98)
Matt Braithwaite – Augustana – Cross Country/Track & Field – Biology (4.0)
Matthew Laschuk – Wayne State University – Swimming – Chemistry/ Pre-Med (3.99)

The national award winners will be announced in September.

Kinney claimed two NCAA Division II titles at the 2011 Indoor Track & Field Championships, to help the Lakers claim their first D-II indoor crown. Kinney, who was a junior this past year, recorded 21.5 points at the national meet and earned three All-American honors. Kinney finished first in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 16:28.02, while placing first in the mile run and helping the distance medley relay team to a third-place finish. Kinney led GVSU at the 2011 GLIAC Indoor Championships with 20.5 points. She earned a GLIAC title in the 3,000-meter run, helped the distance medley relay team to a first place finish, while placing second in the 800-meter run.

During the outdoor season, she placed second at the 2011 D-II Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the 1,500- meter run, after winning the GLIAC Championship in the same event a few weeks earlier. A CoSIDA First Team Track & Field/Cross Country Academic All-American, Kinney was named the 2011 Midwest Region Women's “Track Athlete of the Year” during both the indoor and outdoor track & field seasons. She has earned several Academic All-GLIAC honors, while majoring in biomedical science with a 3.78 grade point average.

Laschuk, a junior this past year, received his second consecutive NCAA Elite 88 Award, presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s 88 championships. He  earned three All-America honors at the 2011 NCAA D-II Championships, finishing 14th in the 200-yard butterfly, 16th in the 200-yard breaststroke and helping the sixth-place 400-yard medley relay team. Laschuk finished sixth in both the 100-yard butterfly and the 100-yard breaststroke at the 2011 GLIAC Championships. He came in seventh in the 200-yard breaststroke and was a member of the second-place 400-yeard medley relay squad.

A chemistry major at Wayne State, Laschuk has been named to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll (term GPA 3.5+) every semester, earning a perfect 4.00 in five of the six terms.  He was voted to the 2011 CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-America At-Large First Team.  A 2011 GLIAC Winter Commissioner's Award recipient, Laschuk was named to the 2011 GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Team.  A 12-time All-American in his collegiate career with five First Team (three relays and two individual) and seven Honorable Mention (all individual), he also won the 2009 conference title in the 200-yard breaststroke.