ST. PAUL, Minn. — Katie Stolz (Forest Lake, Minn.) enjoyed a memorable 2013 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships on Nov. 2, as the Saint Mary's University junior broke the school record — for the second time this year — and earned all-conference honors en route to an 11th-place individual finish.

That performance became even more memorable on Friday, as the Cardinal junior received the MIAC's prestigious Elite 22 Award for women's cross country. St. Olaf's Grant Wintheiser was the men's winner.

The MIAC Elite 22 Award recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the conference championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. Modeled after the NCAA Elite 89 Award, the MIAC Elite 22 Award is presented to the student-athlete with the highest grade point average (GPA) in each sport, who also meets similarly high, sport-specific athletic requirements — including being a member of the MIAC All-Conference Team at the MIAC Cross Country Championships, which includes the top 15 individual finishers.

Stolz had a tremendous performance at the MIAC Women's Cross Country Championship at Como Park Golf Course in St. Paul, Minn., which combined with her academic prowess, resulted in her Elite 22 Award selection. The Cardinals' leading runner completed the six-kilometer course in a school-record 23:23.9 to finish in 11th place individually. Thanks to her top-15 finish, Stolz received MIAC All-Conference honors for the first time in her three-year collegiate career.

As good as the Saint Mary's junior is on the trails, she's been perfect in the classroom thus, as the Biology major boasts a 4.0 GPA. Stolz was also named to the MIAC Academic All-Conference team as a sophomore in cross country and outdoor track and field. She is a Forest Lake, Minn., native and a graduate of Hill-Murray High School.

Wintheiser adds his MIAC Elite 22 Award to an already-full trophy case thanks to his performance at the MIAC Men's Cross Country Championship. The Ole star won the men's 8k race for the second-straight season and led his team to back-to-back MIAC championships as well. Wintheiser's clocked an 8K time of 24:48.9, as he edged teammate Jake Brown by 5.5 seconds for his repeat victory. Wintheiser received all-conference honors, and Thursday he was named the MIAC Men's Cross Country Athlete-of-the-Year for the second season in a row.

The St. Olaf star has also been a success story in the classroom. Wintheiser is a junior Biology major, and he has a near-perfect 3.967 GPA. Wintheiser was also named to the MIAC Academic All-Conference team as a sophomore in cross country, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field. Wintheiser is a Sartell, Minn., native and a graduate of Cathedral High School.

A plaque will be provided to Stolz and Wintheiser to commemorate their MIAC Elite 22 Award, and they are recognized on the MIAC Elite 22 Award web site, which will archive each of the 22 winners throughout the 2013-14 season.

The MIAC Elite 22 Award was modeled after the NCAA Elite 89 Award, which honors the student-athlete with the highest GPA at the championship site for each of the NCAA's 89 sponsored-sports across Divisions I, II and III. The award emerged from the MIAC's strategic plan, and was unanimously approved by the conference's governance structure in May.