Gustavus juniors Gage Gohl and Kaya De Bruijn received the award for men’s and women’s tennis, respectively; St. Olaf junior Zach Martin and Bethel senior Hailey Gregg were the recipients in outdoor track & field; St. Catherine senior Sarah Posey received the award in softball and Saint John’s junior Collin Kray received baseball’s Elite 22 award.

The MIAC Elite 22 Award recognizes the true essence of the term “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 90 Award, the MIAC Elite 22 Award is presented to the student-athlete with the highest grade-point average (GPA) in each sport who meets similarly high, sport-specific athletic requirements.

In all sports with MIAC team playoff tournaments, including tennis, baseball, and softball, the MIAC Elite 22 Award is presented to the individual with the highest GPA on the active postseason roster of a playoff-qualifying team. In championship meet sports, including outdoor track & field, the winner is the individual with the highest GPA who was named All-Conference. Each winner must be a junior or senior and in at least their second full academic year at their current institution. Ties are broken by the number of credits earned.

De Bruijn (Jr. | Maasland, Netherlands | Stedelijk Gymnasium) enjoyed a banner season on the court that began with winning the ITA Midwest regional doubles title and will conclude this weekend in the NCAA Division III Women’s Tennis Doubles Championships. One-half of the 2024-25 MIAC Women’s Tennis Doubles Team of the Year, De Bruin went 20-5 in doubles play and 17-8 in singles action this season. Named to the College Sports Communicators’ Academic All-District Team earlier this month, De Bruijn has a 4.0 grade point average at Gustavus while majoring in geology and environmental studies.

Gohl (Jr. | Sioux Falls, S.D. | Lincoln) began the 2024-25 men’s tennis season by clinching the ITA Midwest regional singles championship and will defend his NCAA Division III doubles national championship later this week in the national individual tournament. Gohl was 11-7 in singles dual matches throughout the season and 14-7 atop the doubles lineup. He has a 3.97 GPA as a communication studies and sport management major at Gustavus.

Gregg (Sr. | Colorado Springs, Colo. | Air Academy) helped the Royals set a new meet record in the 4×400-meter relay with a time of 3:49.64 at the 2025 MIAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships earlier this month, an event she will compete in later this week at the NCAA Division III Championships. Gregg won both the MIAC Elite 22 and NCAA Elite 90 awards earlier this year for the indoor track & field portion of the schedule. She has a 4.0 GPA at Bethel while majoring in elementary education and teaching English as a second language.

Kray (Jr. | Little Falls, Minn.) helped the Johnnies clinch their 15th consecutive MIAC Baseball Playoff berth this season. The first baseman hit 0.286 for the season, driving home three runs and crossing home plate four times. He maintains a 4.0 GPA while majoring in chemistry at Saint John’s.

Martin (Jr. | Eagan, Minn. | Trinity School at River Ridge) ran on the Oles’ first-place 4×800-meter squad at the 2025 MIAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships earlier this month. The St. Olaf quartet set a new facility record with a time of 7:41.52 to win the event by just under 1.5 seconds. Martin has a 4.0 GPA while majoring in mathematics and quantitative economics at St. Olaf.

Posey (Sr. | Sierra Vista, Ariz. | Veritas) was part of a Wildcats team that clinched its fourth MIAC Softball Playoff berth in the last five seasons in 2025. The senior catcher started 71 games over that span, batting 0.295 at the plate with 64 hits and 16 RBI on her resume. She has a 3.98 GPA as a public health major at St. Kate’s.

A physical award will be provided to the winners to commemorate their MIAC Elite 22 Award. The conference also recognizes the honorees on the MIAC Elite 22 Award website, which archives each of the winners throughout the academic year.

| 2024-25 MIAC Elite 22 Award | Elite 22 Home Page |

CANTON, Ga. (May 20, 2025) – The Southern Athletic Association will have 11 student-athletes vying for medals at the 2025 NCAA Division III National Championship, May 22-24 at Spire Institute in Geneva, Ohio.
 
The Centre women lead the way with six individual entrants and a relay at the championship. SAA Track Athlete of the Year Madjo Doumbia is seeded third in the 100m and 14^th in the 200m dash. She anchors the Colonels 4×100 relay team, joining Amari Robinson, Janea Bottinelli and Chloe Hein as the 14^th-seeded squad. Hein is also competing in the 100m dash and is seeded sixth in the long jump. Conference Field Athlete of the Year Serena McNeilly is seeded third in the high jump and 14^th in the triple jump.
 
Berry will send two to coastal Ohio for the championship. Onoyeme Egure is seeded ninth in the shot put and Macy Murdock enters 14^th in the 400m hurdles.
 
On the men’s side, Centre will have a trio competing. Nick Whitlow is seeded 12^th in the decathlon, Dirk Grambel 19^th in the 400m hurdles and Cree Ross fourth in the triple jump.
 
SAA Track Athlete of the Year Hugh Stokes of Rhodes qualified in the 400m hurdles and is seeded 19^th.
 
Fans can follow the NCAA National Championship live at NCAA.com.
 

Berry:
400m Hurdles – Macy Murdock – 1:01.71 (14^th)
Shot Put – Onoyeme Egure – 12.12m (T9^th)
 
Centre:
400m Hurdles – Dirk Grambel – 52.70 (T19^th)
Triple Jump – Cree Ross – 15.15m (T4th)
Decathlon –  Nick Whitlow – 6541 (12^th)
 
100m Dash – Madjo Doumbia – 11.58 (3^rd)
100m Dash – Chloe Hein – 11.78 (T15^th)
200m Dash – Madjo Doumbia – 24.16 (14^th)
4x100m Relay – Amari Robinson, Janea Bottinelli, Chloe Hein, Madjo Doumbia – 46.49 (T14^th )
High Jump – Serena McNeilly – 1.72m (T3^rd)
Long Jump – Chloe Hein – 6.03m (T6^th)
Triple Jump – Serena McNeilly – 12.05m (T14^th)
 
Rhodes:
400m Hurdles – Hugh Stokes – 52.70 (T19^th)
 
 
 
 

Feature Photo by Mercer University

Katy Corbett left an indelible mark at Tallulah Falls School as one of the top volleyball and basketball players in school history when she graduated in the Spring of 2021. After signing with Mercer to play beach volleyball, there was no doubt she was going to leave a legacy just as strong when her career came to a close.

May marked the end of the road for Corbett, who can begin reflecting on the remarkable accomplishments she’s had for the Bears. It wasn’t at all easy, specifically in making the jump from indoor to beach volleyball.

“Switching from indoor to beach volleyball came with a lot of adjustments—both physically and mentally,” says Katy. “Skill-wise, a lot of the contacts in beach are different. From how you set the ball, the timing of your approach, to the way you defend—all of it feels different than indoors. In indoor, you’ve got six players and each person has their specific role. But in beach, it’s just two people, and you have to be able to do everything—pass, set, hit, serve, defend. I was an outside hitter in indoor and played six rotations, so I was comfortable passing and hitting. But setting was something I really hadn’t done much, so that was a big learning curve. I also had to develop a top-spin serve and learn how to pull on defense—two things I hadn’t done before. It took a lot of time, hard work, and great coaching to build those skills, but I’m proud of the progress I made. Mentally, beach volleyball is probably the toughest sport I’ve played. You’re involved in almost every play, so it’s easy to overthink or get caught up in mistakes. I really had to grow in confidence and learn how to reset quickly. We call it having a “Goldfish Mentality”—forgetting the last play and focusing on the next point. That mindset was huge for me.”

Corbett, along with teammate Nicole O’Mara earned the Top Flight Award by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). The duo was named to the All-Sun Belt Conference team, earning 28 victories (23 in straight sets). Corbett and O’Mara had three win streaks of at least five matches, including 11 straight. They had a pair of wins over nationally-ranked foes, highlighted by a win over #18 Georgia State. The team’s overall 24 wins is a program record (14-year history). Furthermore, Corbett and fellow Mercer standout Liv Diaz were selected back in November to compete in the AVCA Beach National Championships. Often, Corbett was on nationally-televised broadcasts, playing on ESPN and similar networks.

“When I was a freshman, playing on ESPN or against top-ranked teams felt really intimidating,” adds Katy. “I’d be going up against girls who were a few years older, more experienced, and then there’s the thought of people watching from all over—it definitely got in my head sometimes. But as I got older and more confident, that started to fade. By the time I was a senior, I honestly didn’t even think about the ESPN cameras. When playing ranked teams I started focusing more on things I could control: playing with confidence, giving full effort, and bringing energy. Nicole and I had one of our biggest wins against #18 ranked Georgia State.”

Framed Print (11×14) – Katy Corbett College Spotlight

Framed Print (11×14) – Katy Corbett College Spotlight

That victory is a big core memory for Katy, as are the accolades and honors that came along the way. But she has a specific memory/moment that stands above the rest.

“My favorite memory actually just happened at conference this year,” she tells. “We were in our second match of the day playing Coastal Carolina. My partner Nicole and I had won the first set, lost the second, and were playing the third to 15. Even though our team had already lost the dual, we still had to finish our match. We were down 10-14 in the third, and both teams were on the sidelines watching. Right before the switch at 11-14, I got a cramp in my calf and we had to call a timeout so our trainer could help. Somehow, we came back and won 16-14. It was such a crazy and fun moment—definitely the most exciting match I’ve ever played.”

Another great memory for Corbett came when getting the opportunity to play at nationals.

“Getting to go to Nationals for the Pairs Tournament was one of my favorite experiences at Mercer,” admits Katy. “My partner Liv and I earned a spot during the preseason of my senior year in a bid tournament, and we competed against some of the top pairs in the country. The level of competition was super high. It was such an honor to be there and represent our team, and we won two of our matches. Liv and I were the first pair in Mercer history to participate in the AVAC Pairs Tournament.”

With stories that’ll last a lifetime and a career win total of 69 – tops in Mercer history – Katy has left a legacy at yet another school. So now, the question is – what’s next for her to accomplish?

“Next up, I’ll be heading to Augusta University in Athens for my Master of Science in Nursing,” says Katy. “It is a 16-month program that begins this fall. Upon completion, and I plan to work in a critical care unit and eventually go back to school to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) and earn a Doctorate of Nursing in Anesthesia. Right now, I don’t have any formal plans for volleyball, but I’m definitely not done playing. One of the great things about beach volleyball is that it doesn’t have to end after college—you can keep competing in tournaments, and I hope to do just that with some of my former teammates. The sport has been such a huge part of my life, and I honestly don’t see myself ever fully stepping away from it. Eventually, I’d love to help grow the beach volleyball community in North Georgia by running camps or clinics so more people can experience just how special this sport is.”

Corbett set school marks (at the time of graduation) at TFS with 852 career kills and 981 digs, and added 91 assists, 27 blocks, and 113 aces. She was twice named BLITZ Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons, and was a 2-time All-Region selection. She guided the Lady Indians to two Sweet 16 runs.