Ryan Ozan of St. John and Lindsey Letner of St. Mary are winners of the Men’s and Women’s Basketball Elite 22 awards, with Bethel’s Matt Berezovsky and Augsburg’s Elizabeth Fagerlind earning hockey honors. The Swimming & Diving Elite 22 awards were sent to Nick Star Sevic of St. Olaf and Marit Isaacson of Gustavas, while Tyler Smith of Gustavas and Hayleague Legs of Gustavas were recognized in indoor athletics.
The MIAC Elite 22 Award recognizes the true essence of the term “student-athlete” by celebrating individuals who have reached the pinnacle of competition at the sports conference championship level, achieving the highest academic standard among their colleagues. Modeled after the NCAA Elite 90 Awards, the MIAC Elite 22 Award is presented to student-athletes with the highest grade point average (GPA) for each sport that meets similarly high sport-specific athletic requirements.
In all sports of MIAC Team Postseason Tournaments, such as basketball and hockey, the MIAC Elite 22 Award is awarded to individuals with the highest GPA on the active postseason roster of playoff-qualified teams. In swimming & diving and indoor track and field, the winner is an individual with the highest GPA named All Conference. Each winner must be a junior or senior, at least in his second grade at his current institution. The bond is broken by the number of credits earned at the current institution.
Berezowski (Jr. | Irvine, Calif. | Orange Lutheran) took action as a defender for the Royals men’s hockey team in 18 games, helping Bethel secured his second consecutive MIAC playoff berth in 2024-25. Berezowski is a business major focused on innovation and entrepreneurship, maintaining a 4.0 grade point average with Bethel.
Fagerlind (Server | Casson, Minnesota | Casson Mantleville) helped lead Augsburg to her first berth in the NCAA Division III women’s hockey tournament this winter as a defender for MIAC champion Auggies. As an accounting and finance major with 4.0 at Augsburg, this is Fagerlind’s 22 honors in women’s hockey for the second consecutive time.
Greg (Sr. | Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs | Air Academy) won all conference honors at the 2025 MIAC Indoor Athletics Championships, helping the Royals finish first in the 4×400 metre relay (3:56.83) and third in the 4×200 metre Ray Ray (1:46.60). Greg majors in primary education (K-6) and teaches English as a second language at Bethel while having a 4.0 GPA.
Isaacson (Sr. | St. Paul, Minnesota | Central) won all meeting honors at the 2025 MIAC Swimming & Diving Championship with three separate events and five relays. Isaacson won 400 individual medleys (2:06.27), ranner-up in 400 IM (4:34.22) and finished third in 100 Freestyle (53.14). She also helped relay the Crown with the 200 Freestyle Relay (1:35.48) and the 800 Freestyle Relay (7:42.47). This is the second consecutive elite 22 honor in women’s swimming & diving as he maintains a 4.0 GPA while majoring in both Spanish and geographical geography with GIS concentrations in Gustavus.
Lettner (Jr. | Wis. | Gale-Ettrick-Trempeeau) was the 25-game starter for the Cardinals, averaging nearly 30 minutes per game in 2024-25. Letzner scored 176 points and registered 62 rebounds and 19 steals to secure a berth in the MIC women’s basketball playoffs, earning the program’s highest win percentage overall since the 2017-18 campaign. Lettner is an accounting major with a 4.0 GPA from SMU.
Smith (Sr. | Norwood Young America, Minnesota | Central) won a 1000-meter run at the 2025 MIAC Indoor Athletics Championships, setting both the event and facility records at the 2:28.59 hour. He also won all conference honors as runner-up in an 800-meter run (1:55.12). This is Smith’s second Elite 22 Award in the 2024-25 grade school year, which won the men’s cross-country season honors last fall. Smith holds a 4.0 GPA while majoring in Public Accounting at Gustavas.
Starcevich (Jr. | Brain, Minnesota | Spring Lake Park) won four all-conference honors at the 2025 MIAC Swimming & Diving Championship in February, and in addition to swimming at the Second 400 Freestele Rellay (3:07.79) in both 50 (20.79) and 100 (45.69) freestyle team (1:24.41). He has a 4.0 GPA while majoring in mathematics at St. Olaf.
Thissen (Sr. | Rosemount, Minnesota | Eastview) was named Mike Men’s Basketball’s Joe Hutton Offensive Player of the Year earlier this month after averaging 16.4 points and 2.8 assists per game for regular season co-champion Johnny. Thissen started all 16 conference games for Saint John’s, earning at least 10 points on 15 of those, while surpassing the 20-point plateau in five contests. Thissen is currently a three-time Miac Elite 22 Award recipient who previously received it in both 2022 and 2023.
To commemorate the MIAC Elite 22 Award, the winners will be offered a physical award. The conference will also recognize winners on the MIAC Elite 22 Awards website.
| 2024-25 MIAC Elite 22 Awards | Elite 22 Homepage |
