ST. PAUL, Minn. – Among a field of 16 talented and dedicated Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) senior student-athletes recognized as finalists for the 2024 Scholar-Athlete Leadership Award, two individuals have set themselves apart from the rest through consistent success on and off the field of competition.
Kristen Vensland of the Northland College Lumberjills has been named the 2024 UMAC Scholar-Athlete Leadership Award winner for the women, while Nate Ohman of the University of Wisconsin-Superior Yellowjackets has been tabbed as the male winner, the conference office announced Wednesday.
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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 to one male and one female graduating senior from UMAC full member-institutions.
Ohman and Vensland emerged from a group of finalists that demonstrates 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.
“Each year I am so impressed with the athletic, academic, leadership, and service accomplishments of our UMAC Scholar-Athlete Leadership Award recipients,” said UMAC Commissioner Corey Borchardt. “This year certainly continues my appreciation for the type of student-athletes that compete in the UMAC as both Nate and Kristen have a very lengthy list of outstanding achievements in all of the different criteria components of this award. These two honorees are great representatives of the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference and reflect the philosophy and values that make NCAA Division III special."
2024 UMAC Women's Scholar-Athlete Leadership Award Winner
Name:
Kristen Vensland
Institution: Northland College
Hometown: Somerset, Wis.
High School: Somerset
Major: Natural Resources Ecological Restoration and Fish and Wildlife Ecology
Sport: Women’s Soccer
Academic Achievements:
- Numerous scholarships including Wisconsin Academic Excellence Grant
- Dean’s List every semester
- Natural Science Division Award (top graduating science majors)
- UMAC Academic All-Conference - 4 years
- Worked for Burke Center for Freshwater Innovation two years as research assistant
- Research and monitoring of inland lakes and Chequamegon Bay
- Presented two summers at research symposium
- Helped Peter Annin on his book Purified
- Isle Royal dragonfly mercury project with NPS Service - 2023
- National Lake Assessment Project with EPA, WIDNR, USFS - 2022
- Wrote Bushwhacking for Science for the Northland Magazine
Leadership:
- Northland soccer caption for three years (chosen by teammates)
- Burke Center
- Field crew leader
- Training and mentoring new interns
Service:
- Tutor (three years, ~10 hours/week) in Science Writing, Environmental Economics, and Intro Statistics
- SAAC member
- Worked with Indigenous Arts and Science Program for Bad River and Red Cliff tribes
- Helped move new incoming students into dorms
- Project assistant at Somerset (WI) Public Library working programs for younger children
- Stone Lake (WI) boat landing as an Invasive Species Boat Landing Monitor for the Shore Owners of Stone Lake Association - cleaned boats and educated the locals about invasive species
- Concessions stand worker (for soccer)
Other:
- UMAC All-Conference Honorable Mention - 2021, 2022, 2023
- UMAC Sportsmanship Award - 2022, 2023
- Played every minute of every Northland soccer game all four years
- Did the little things in class (drive the van, load the gear) that make life so much better
2024 UMAC Men's Scholar-Athlete Leadership Award Winner
Name:
Nate Ohman
Institution: University of Wisconsin-Superior
Hometown: Lake Nebagamon, Wis.
Highschool: Northwestern
Major: Math Education
Sport: Men’s Track and Field
Academic Achievements:
- Dean’s List (2019-2024)
- UMAC Academic All-Conference (2019-present)
- Academic Service Learning -both observation/taught (2022-present)
- Yellowjacket Academic Scholarship Recipient (2020-2022)
Leadership:
- Captain-Indoor/Outdoor Track and Field 2023-2024
- SAAC member (2019-present)
- Weight Room Assistant: Strength and Conditioning (2022-2023) Paid position.
- Coach-track at high school (2021, 2022) unpaid 20 hours.
Service:
- Participated in Caroling for Cans, Week of Giving, Bell Ringing, Jacket Day
- Volunteer to evaluate Senior Projects at Superior High School (Spring of 2022, and Spring of 2023)
- Volunteer at Church-Food Giveaways (prepare meals for families in need)
- Volunteer for the UW-S Math Meet 2022
- Volunteer for Spring Clean-up-UW-S 2020
- Math Tutor at UW-S 2022-2023 Paid/Volunteer
- Volunteer for UW-S Track Throw camps 2023, 2024
- Volunteer for Track Meets held at UW-S (2021, 2022, 2023)
- Volunteer at the Boys and Girls Club in Superior, WI (2022) (30 hours)
- Worked on camp as MWC Facility Assistant at Front Desk and Building Manager at MWC Summer of 2021-2022
Other:
- 2023-2024-Indoor First place in Shot put and Weight Throw (UMAC Conference Meet)
- 2022-2023-Indoor First place in Weight Throw (UMAC Conference Meet)
- 2023-Outdoor First place in Hammer and 2nd in Shot Put (UMAC Conference Meet)
- CPR/First Aid Certification Safe Sport Coaching Certification (2022)
Ohman and Vensland will receive a commemorative plaque with their name engraved on it. Together, they become the 17th group to win the UMAC Scholar-Athlete Leadership Award since its inception in 2008.
UMAC Scholar-Athlete Leadership Award Winners:
2024 – Nate Ohman (Wisconsin-Superior), Kristen Vensland (Northland)
2023 – Cody Nye (Minnesota Morris), Ezra Blumer (Martin Luther) Elizabeth Lofstad (North Central)
2022 – Dante Bender (Wisconsin-Superior), Sydney Schwitters (Northwestern)
2021 – Ryan Steger (St. Scholastica), Jordan Sauve (Northwestern)
2020 – Riley Loukinen (North Central), Liz Poskie (St. Scholastica), Talia Sherry (Northwestern)
2019 – Josh Koelpin (Martin Luther), MacKenna Hinz (Bethany Lutheran)
2018 – Nick McCormick (Crown), Kira Grev (Martin Luther)
2017 – John Haseman (Minnesota Morris), Elissa Pheneger (North Central)
2016 – Louis Corcoran (Northland), Annaliese Schroeder (North Central)
2015 – Sutton Rehwalt (North Central), Olivia Krejcarek (St. Scholastica)
2014 – Brendan Foss (Minnesota Morris), Krista Stoltz (Northwestern), Abby Fragodt (Minnesota Morris)
2013 – Brett Tester (St. Scholastica), Kali Cordes (Minnesota Morris)
2012 – Brady Giffith (Crown), Joelle Pipal (Bethany Lutheran)
2011 – Toby Peter (St. Scholastica), April Cook (Martin Luther)
2010 – Nick Olson (Northwestern), Maddy Gerber (Minnesota Morris)
2009 – Zach Marshall (Northwestern), Eva Voss (Bethany Lutheran)
2008 – Nathan Nass (Martin Luther), Christopher Rubesch (St. Scholastica), Kristin Scislow (Bethany Lutheran)