Complete Academic All-MIAC Team

WINONA, Minn. — Twenty-one Saint Mary's University winter-spring student-athletes earned Academic All-Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference recognition, it was announced Wednesday.

More than 450 winter and spring student-athletes earned the honorable distinction, while the total number of 2012-13 honorees ranks as the most in conference history. The conference handed out 453 Academic All-Conference awards to winter and spring student-athletes Wednesday, which is the second-highest total in conference history and just one away from the league's record. A total of 454 student-athletes were honored in 2010-11.

However, combined with the record-setting 330 Academic All-Conference selections in the fall, 2012-13's cumulative total of 783 Academic All-Conference selections are the most in MIAC history by a significant margin. The previous high – also recorded in 2010-11 – was 759.

Student-athletes must be a sophomore, junior, or senior with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale to qualify for MIAC Academic All-Conference recognition. Athletically, student-athletes in hockey, basketball, baseball, softball and tennis must compete in 50% of their team's varsity regular season contests. Baseball pitchers must appear in 10 contests, while swimmers must qualify for the finals (top 16) in individual or relay events at the conference championships, and track and field athletes must earn honorable mention status (top 8) in individual events or place in the top three as a relay team at the MIAC Championships.

This year's list of Cardinal academic all-conference recipients includes a dual-sport winter-spring recipient — Julianne Bartosz (Mokena, Ill.) — who was named in both women's hockey and fastpitch softball, while Kristen Thelen (Rochester, Minn.), Jake Traxler (Le Center, Minn.), Peter Borash (Bowlus, Minn.), John Soucheray (Woodbury, Minn.) and Katie Stolz (Forest Lake, Minn.) earned a season sweep, adding winter-spring academic all-conference honors in fastpitch softball and track and field, respectively, to their fall honors in cross country.

Led by Bartosz and Thelen, the SMU fastpitch softball team landed a school-best five athletes on the MIAC academic all-conference team, while women's swimming and diving was close behind with four members.

Sam Borawski (Stickney, Ill.), Paige Carter (Rosemount, Minn.) and Hailey Ohl (Bloomington, Minn.) joined Bartosz and Thelen as fastpitch softball representatives on the academic all-conference squad, while Andrea Fogel (Haifa, Israel), Abby Lough (St. Paul, Minn.), Kaitlyn McClay (Shakopee, Minn.) and Kristin Wilkes (Bradenton, Fla.) were selected from women's swimming and diving.

Other academic award winners included track and field members Peter Borash (Bowlus, Minn.), John Soucheray (Woodbury, Minn.) and Katie Stolz (Forest Lake, Minn.); women's tennis players Lindsey Reinisch (Hastings, Minn.) and Grace Zachman (Elk River, Minn.); women's basketball players Kaitlyn Keefe (Chatfield, Minn.) and Sara Schoenthaler); Mackenzie Klimek (Hastings, Minn.) from women's hockey, Michael Wolter (Antigo, Wis.) from men's hockey, and baseball player Paul LaNasa (Mahtomedi, Minn.).

MIAC Academic All-Conference honors are announced twice annually, after the completion of the fall and spring academic semesters.