USD's Mara McGill and UND's Michael Greenwood Named Recipients of NCC Scholar-Athlete Award
Mara McGill of South Dakota and Michael Greenwood of North Dakota were named recipients of the 2007 NCC Scholar-Athlete Award as part of the NCC Honors Dinner at Ramkota Hotel in Sioux Falls, S.D. Monday evening.
The award is given annually to one male and one female senior student-athlete who distinguish themselves through academic performance, athletic ability and community activities.
The recipients of the NCC Scholar-Athlete Award are selected by the league's institutional representatives from the NCC Honor Athletes announced earlier this month. Each school selects one male and one female student-athlete for the Honor Athlete recognition.
Here is a summary of the recipients' achievements:
Mara McGill, South Dakota, Track & Field, Beresford, S.D. - Has been one of the leaders of a South Dakota Women's Track and Field squad that won two consecutive NCC Triple Crowns (titles in track and field and cross country in same year) and is going for its fourth straight NCC outdoor crown...Has already been accepted into the Sanford School of Medicine for this fall (2007)...Owns a 4.0 grade point average in biology and pre-medicine...Member of the USD Honors Program...Is a five-time national provisional qualifier and the 2006 NCC heptathlon champion...In 2007, finished second in the NCC heptathlon...A recipient of a Mickelsen Scholarship...Has been inducted into the most prestigious undergraduate honor society in the U.S. - the Phi Beta Kappa society...A year ago, received the Nelson Shield Award from the USD College of Arts and Sciences as the junior with the highest GPA and she has made the Dean's List every semester at USD...Was named to the 2006 NCC Commissioner's Academic Indoor Track and Field Honor Roll and selected to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District VII Women's Track and Field/Cross Country second team in 2006 as well as the 2006 U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic DII Squad...Active in undergraduate research, McGill has received a research fellowship from an EPSCoR grant and conducted research in the Basic Biomedical Sciences lab..A mentor to fellow student-athletes...Has been an academic advisor for women's track for two years...Has volunteered at the Newman Center, offering free child care...Also worked at the Welcome Table, a community dinner on Mondays for disadvantaged people in Vermillion...Has been active with the Adopt-A-Grandparent program (pairing students with residents from a local nursing home) and working with USD's Special Olympics Field Day.
Michael Greenwood, North Dakota, Football, Jamestown, N.D. - Has a 3.94 GPA in biology and plans to enter UND School of Medicine in the fall...Three-year letterwinner as a safety on the UND football team that won three NCC Championships and advanced to the NCAA DII playoffs four times in his career...2006-07 NCAA Post Graduate Scholarship First Alternate...2006 ESPN the Magazine Academic All American 1st Team...Dean's List every semester (Fall 02-Fall 06)...President's Honor Roll every semester (Fall 02- Fall 06)...NCC Commissioner's Honor Roll - 2005 and 2006...2006 Academic All-NCC First Team...2004, 2005, 2006 ESPN the Magazine Academic All District Teams...UND Scholar Athlete of the Month - November 2006...2007 UND Presidential Award (given to senior athletes graduating w/a 3.75+ GPA)...Holiday Magic for Marcus Christmas fundraising project 2002-06...Volunteer in Cardiac Stress Lab...Works with youth baseball camps...Make A Wish volunteer 2005...Relay for Life volunteer 2006...Renovated homeless shelter 2006...Special Olympics 2003...Worked as certified nurse assistant in summer 2006.
Other female Honor Athletes considered for the award were Alison Adamson, Augustana (basketball); Michelle Burgard, North Dakota (track & field); Kari Hudson, Minnesota State (softball); Beth McGill, Nebraska-Omaha (soccer); Brenda Peters, St. Cloud State (swimming) and Katie Winkelman, Minnesota Duluth (basketball).
Other male Honor Athletes considered for the award were Luke Anderson, Minnesota State (basketball); Cody Henriksen, Augustana (wrestling); Matt Hockett, Minnesota Duluth (basketball); Matt Murphy, South Dakota (football); JD Naig, Nebraska-Omaha (wrestling) and Adam Sullivan, St. Cloud State (basketball).
McGill, the fifth USD female honoree, is the 26th female overall
honoree while Greenwood, the sixth male UND honoree, is the 29th
male honoree overall. The last South Dakota female student-athlete
to claim the award was basketball standout Mandy Koupal in 2004
while the last North Dakota male student-athlete was Sebastian
Andersson in 2004.