St. Cloud State student-athletes earn NCHC All-Academic honors

While many fans see the competitiveness on the ice in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) each weekend, the competitiveness also extends to the classroom where 123 NCHC student-athletes earned NCHC Academic All-Conference Team for the 2016-17 season, the conference announced Wednesday. Among the 123 honorees, 39 student-athletes were also recognized with NCHC Scholar-Athlete Team accolades for their academic achievements.

This group of the league's top student-athletes includes 17 Huskies who were named to the NCHC Academic All-Conference team and four named NCHC Scholar-Athlete award winners for 2016-17.

To be eligible for the NCHC Academic All-Conference Team, a student-athlete must compile a 3.0 cumulative grade-point average or better while having completed at least one academic year at his current institution. Student-athletes that have accrued a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or better garner NCHC Scholar-Athlete Team distinction, in addition to Academic All-Conference. The 123 Academic All-Conference recipients are the second-most in the NCHC's four year history (133 in 2013-14) and 25 more than a season ago, while the 39 Scholar-Athlete Team recipients are six more than last season when the NCHC Scholar-Athlete Team first switched to its current criteria.

Of the 39 student-athletes to receive NCHC Scholar-Athlete Team honors, 22 of them have posted a GPA north of 3.7, including five with a 3.9 GPA or higher. St. Cloud State junior defenseman Nathan Widman is the lone NCHC student-athlete with a perfect cumulative GPA. The other SCSU student-athletes to earn NCHC Scholar-Athlete awards were sophomore defender Jimmy Schuldt, junior defenseman Mika Illvonen and sophomore defenseman Clark Kuster.

SCSU players named to the Academic All-Conference team were Jacob Benson, Will Borgen, Mikey Eyssimont, Mika Ilvonen, Robby Jackson, Clark Kuster, Jon Lizotte, Niklas Nevelainen, Patrick Newell, Ryan Papa, Judd Peterson, Jimmy Schuldt, Ben Storm, Daniel Tedesco, Nate Widman, Blake Winiecki and David Zevnik. Of note, Nevalainen, Papa and Storm are four-time NCHC Academic All-Conference award winners.

Among the 123 Academic All-Conference Team members, six schools placed at least 15 student-athletes on the team, led again by Omaha with 19. St. Cloud State was not far behind with 17 members while Denver and Western Michigan each produced 16 student-athletes on the team.

While freshmen are not currently eligible for the NCHC Academic All-Conference or Scholar-Athlete Teams, those freshmen that achieve a cumulative 3.0 GPA or better at the conclusion of the 2016-17 academic year, will be added to the Academic All-Conference Team by the NCHC over the summer. Similarly, any freshmen who compile a 3.5 GPA or better will earn Scholar-Athlete Team honors.

The 2016-17 NCHC Senior Scholar-Athlete Award (previously Scholar-Athlete of the Year) will be announced at the NCHC Awards Celebration on Thursday, March 16 in Minneapolis, Minn. on the eve of the NCHC Frozen Faceoff.

ST. CLOUD STATE
Jacob Benson
Will Borgen
Mikey Eyssimont
Mika Ilvonen
Robby Jackson
Clark Kuster
Jon Lizotte
Niklas Nevelainen
Patrick Newell
Ryan Papa
Judd Peterson
Jimmy Schuldt
Ben Storm
Daniel Tedesco
Nathan Widman
Blake Winiecki
David Zevnik