UMAC Scholar-Athlete Leadership Award Winners

UMAC Scholar-Athlete Leadership Award Winners

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ST. PAUL, MN - Among 14 talented and qualified Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) senior student-athletes recognized as finalists for the 2023 Scholar-Athlete Leadership Award, three individuals have set themselves apart from the rest through consistent success on and off the field of competition.
 
Elizabeth Lofstad of North Central University has been named the 2023 UMAC Scholar-Athlete Leadership Award winner for the women while both Ezra Blumer of Martin Luther and Cody Nye of Minnesota Morris tied for the 2023 Scholar-Athlete Leadership Award on the men's side, both athletes will be recognized as winners.
 
| Finalists Release | Past Winners |

Through this award, the UMAC recognizes the role athletics plays in developing leaders by rewarding athletes' excellence in the classroom as well as service to the community. The honor is awarded annually on both the men's and women's side to a graduating senior from UMAC full member-institutions.
 
Lofstad, Blumer, and Nye emerged from a group of finalists that demonstrate a healthy balance by achieving excellence in academics, leadership, and service while participating in intercollegiate athletics. Finalists for each institution were nominated by the UMAC Faculty Athletics Representatives (FAR) and the winners were also selected by the FAR Council.

UMAC Commissioner Corey Borchardt said "Each year, it is so enjoyable to read through the list of nominees for this award and the supporting information for each nominee from our member institutions.  We have some incredible student-athletes in the UMAC that perform at such a high level both athletically and academically but also do some amazing service in their campus and local communities as well.  These three award winners, Elizabeth, Ezra, and Cody, embody the NCAA Division III philosophy and our UMAC core values, illustrated in their significant achievements and outstanding leadership to their teams, campuses, local communities and beyond.” 

 

Elizabeth Lofstad, North Central University
Hometown: Circle Pines, MN
Major(s): American Sign Language
Sport(s): Cross Country, Track & Field

Academic Achievement:
  • Completed her education in just 2.5 semesters
  • 4.0 GPA
  • UMAC Academic Accolades each year of participation
  • NCCAA Scholar-Athlete Honors for 2 seasons.
Athletic Achievement:
  • 2 year team-captain for both Cross Country and Track and Field.
  • Liz is the second most decorated Female Track and Cross Country athlete NCU has ever had
  •  2- First team all-conference performances (7th in 2021, 3rd in 2022).
  •  NCCAA North Region Runner of the year (x2)
  •  1st team NCCAA All-American
  •  Sits 4th all-time at NCU in both her 5k and 6k times.
  •  2021 - Indoor - 3rd Place - Mile, Triple Jump 2021 - Outdoor - 3rd Place - 1500 2nd Place - Triple Jump
  • 2022- Indoor - 4th Place - 800 2nd Place - Mile 2022- Outdoor - 1500 - 1st Place 800 - 4th Place
  • 2023 - Indoor 3rd Place - Mile, Triple Jump 2nd Place - 4x400M Relay
Campus Community Leadership and Service:
  • Held student-leadership roles within the ASL department including Vice President of Alliance (NCU's American Sign Language Student Organization).
  • She was the Qualified Student Interpreting Coordinator, which assists NCU students in acquiring the required hours for their ASL internships. 
  • Liz had internships in American Sign Language with Fairview Hospitals and clinics all over the Minneapolis and St. Paul Area.
  • Interned with ASLIS, an interpreting organization that serves the Deaf community by providing interpreters in person and online, while offering various education and training to interpreters all over the state.
  • Liz is a volunteer with ThinkSelf - an organization that provides education to Deaf Immigrants in Minnesota.
  • Volunteers as an interpreter for Wilderness Inquiry, an organization that hosts outdoor education and adventure opportunities for people of various ages and demographics.
  • She also interprets and participates in the Bouldering/Climbing Community in Minneapolis.

Ezra Blumer, Martin Luther College
Hometown: Lakeville, MN
Major(s): Biblical Languages (Pre-Seminary training in Greek & Hebrew)
Sport(s): Basketball, Men's Soccer

Academic Achievement:
  •  2x UMAC Academic All-Conference
  •  2x MLC Deans List
  •  Renewable MLC Witness Scholarship
  •  Northwestern College Alumni Scholarship
  • Salem Grant Conrad Frey Scholarship
Athletic Achievement:
  • Team captain
  • Averaged 8.5 points per game and 5.8 rebounds per game.
  • 541 career points, 373 career rebounds, 78 steals, and 100 assists.
Campus Community Leadership and Service:
  • Volunteer work done as MLC Student Body Vice President (2022-2023) 
  • Committee member of Student Organization Anchor (Anchor is in charge of providing service opportunities to students on campus)
  • Helped create a peer mentorship program (2022-2023) in MLC's Cultural Engagement Center (20 juniors paired with freshmen to provide opportunities for mentorship)
  • Member of Committee helping to better the overall student health at MLC (Wellness Committee 2022-2023)
  • Served on a committee committed to bettering emotional, physical, and spiritual help at MLC alongside professors.
  • Raised $800 for non-profit Logan Loves through a Pancake Breakfast (2021) which is an organization bringing joy to kids in the hospital at Minnesota Children’s Hospital.
  • Paid work as MLC tour guide and a student ambassador for Martin Luther College (2021-2023)
  • Supervisor and tutor for the MLC Academic Success Center (2022-2023)
  • Started a Twin Cities Youth Night (2021) Gathered churches from around the metro area for a 3 times a year youth night, gathered kids from 8 churches and over 150 kids.
  • In charge of equipping and leading volunteers helped to employ Youth Nights across the Country (2021-2022)
  • Served on a committee that brought the Youth Night idea across America, now over 20 churches across the country have had a youth night in their area.
  • Organized volunteering at a Senior Citizen home with high schoolers at a church (2022).
  • Raised money, collected items, and assembled "blessing baskets" which we then distributed to our local senior citizen home.

Cody Nye, University of Minnesota Morris
Hometown: Soldotna, AK
Major(s): Anthropology and Psychology
Sport(s): Track & Field

Academic Achievement:
  •  Dean's list 6 semesters
  • Academic All-Conference: 2020, 2021, 2022
  • USTFCCCA All-Academic Team: 2021, 2022
  • Chi Sigma Alpha (Athletic Honor Society)
  • McNair Scholar (cohort 5)
  • Pending admission to PhD programs in Child Psychology (multiple programs)
  • Research Assistant for 3 projects
  • Project 1: Interobserver Analysis of Undergraduate Students Measuring Bison Teeth. Poster Presentation at Undergraduate Research Symposium.
  • Project 2: Indigenous Leadership Values’ Relationship to Ethnic Identity. Presentation at the 24th Annual University of Maryland National Conference for McNair Scholars and Undergraduate Research Manuscript in preparation.
  • Project 3: COVID-19’s Impact on International Students’ Lives and Their Health. Poster Presentation at Undergraduate Research Symposium Manuscript
  • Involvement in research: Operating as a Co-PI for the project, developing the hypotheses, Writing the IRB and the material for the project, recruiting students to complete the survey and participate in the data collection sessions (depending on the project), managing the lab and the data collection, cleaning and analyzing the data using SPSS, and drafting the manuscript for future publication.
Athletic Achievement:
  • University of Minnesota Morris Outdoor Shot Put School Record (2022)
  • University of Minnesota Morris Hammer Throw Top 10 (10th, 2022)
  • All-conference in track & field multiple seasons.
Campus Community Leadership and Service:
  • Tiger Track and Field Coordinator, Morris Area Community Education.
  • Create and implement a training program for two age groups for a designated session (K-2; 3-6 Grades).
  • Instruct on proper techniques for various running distances and several throwing events.
  • Responsible for safety and management of fifty children and coordinated a track meet for the participants at the conclusion of the program.
  • Tiger Track and Field Coordinator (Morris Area Community Education, youth program)
  • Highway clean up (volunteer)
  • High school track and field (volunteer)
  • Study tables (volunteer)
  • Tutor (unpaid)