BEMIDJI, Minn. -- Bemidji State University soccer captain Megan Dahl and football captain Brandon Alt were announced as the 2021-22 Female and Male Athletes of the Year on Sunday evening at the annual Beaver Nation Celebration. The award winners were selected from a pool of nominated student-athletes from all 15 of BSU's intercollegiate sport programs.
In addition, Beaver soccer defender Emma Huelsnitz and Beaver football offensive lineman Conor Kovas were selected BSU's 2021-22 Female and Male Newcomers of the Year. BSU football running back Jalen Frye was also named as the recipient of the third annual Community Impact Award.
A group of 14 student-athletes were named Female and Male Scholar-Athletes of the Year, achieving a perfect 4.0 GPA, including Rumer Flatness (women's basketball), Amme Sheforgen (women's basketball), Katie LeBlanc (women's golf), Abbie DeLaRosa (women's hockey), Hannah Hogenson (women's hockey), Taylor Nelson (women's hockey), Asia Buryska (soccer), Maggie Cade (soccer), Mary Goodwin (track & field/cross country), Abby Syverson (track & field/cross country), Ashley East (volleyball), Wyatt Olson (men's basketball), Nick Gerlach (football) and Jack Powell (men's hockey). Beaver Women's Hockey with a 3.69 GPA and Men's Basketball with a 3.52 GPA picked up the top academic team awards.
In total, 73 seniors were recognized in addition to a department-record 13 NSIC/Myles Brand Academic with Distinction Award winners and NSIC Elite 18 award winner Rumer Flatness, the fifth BSU student-athlete to earn the award.
Emma Huelsnitz – Soccer (Freshman, Defense, Ramsey, Minn.)
A 2021 NSIC All-Conference Second Team and NSIC All-Tournament Team selection, Huelsnitz played in all 24 matches with 23 starts on the team's way to its second NSIC Championship in program history. She was voted as the team's Rookie of the Year, helped the squad rank fifth nationally with a BSU single-season record 14 shutouts, and assisted in the conference's second-best goals against average. Huelsnitz added two goals and two assists as part of a program record 53 assists in 2021.
Conor Kovas – Football (Sophomore, Offensive Line, Joliet, Ill.)
A 2021 D2CCA All-Super Region 4 First Team and NSIC All-Conference First Team selection, Kovas started 12 games as the team qualified for its first ever NCAA Tournament appearance and earned its sixth NSIC Championship. He contributed to the nation's fifth-best offensive line in sacks allowed, the fifth-highest passing offense, the ninth-highest total offense and the 11th-best tackles for loss allowed. Kovas kept Harlon Hill Trophy finalist Brandon Alt upright en route to setting multiple BSU single-season passing records. Kovas helped BSU's rushing attack average 131.4 yards per game.
Megan Dahl – Soccer (Senior, Defense, Rosemount, Minn.)
A 2021 United Soccer Coaches All-America First Team and Scholar All-America Team selection, Dahl anchored BSU's defense on its way to its second NSIC Championship and third NCAA Tournament appearance in program history. She was named the NSIC Defensive Player of the Year and earned a spot on the USC All-Region First Team, NSIC All-Conference First Team, NSIC All-Tournament Team, and Fall NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence. Dahl, a 2021 team captain, also earned NSIC Defensive Player of the Week honors once and led a defense that ranked fifth nationally with a BSU single-season record 14 shutouts. She added one goal and five assists as part of a program-record 53 assists in 2021.
Brandon Alt – Football (Sophomore, Quarterback, Cottage Grove, Minn.)
A 2021 D2CCA All-Super Region 4 Second Team selection and Harlon Hill Trophy finalist, Alt started 12 of 13 games played in as the team qualified for its first ever NCAA Tournament appearance and earned its sixth NSIC Championship. A team captain, Alt was named to the NSIC All-Conference Second Team and earned NSIC Offensive Player of the Week two times. He ranked second in the nation in passing touchdowns, points responsible for and passing yards, ranked eighth in total offense, and 10th in yards per completion. Alt became just the 20th player in NCAA DII history to throw for at least 4,000 yards and 40 touchdowns in a single season. He broke the NSIC single-season pass touchdown record along with BSU single-season records in passing yards and completions.
Jalen Frye – Football (Junior, Running Back, Mahtomedi, Minn.)
Prior to the fall of 2021, Frye's season was taken away by injury. Instead of losing an opportunity on the field, he gained an opportunity to help those around him. Frye has been volunteering at Ruby's Pantry since 2020 and is a student member of the Black Student Union since 2019. He also used his voice as a host and speaker at a Community Black Lives Matter assembly, a presenter during Student-Academic Achievement Day and at the Frederick P. Baker Center Grand Opening. Frye served on the President's Student Commission in 2019 and will be a student representative on the Athletic Director search committee. He was also a member of the BSU Academic Dean's List during the 2017-18 academic year.
For more information on the Bemidji State athletic programs, tickets or schedules, visit BSUBeavers.com, follow the Beavers on Twitter (@BSUBeavers), like them on Facebook (facebook.com/BSUBeavers) or follow on Instagram (@BSUBeavers).
Nestled in Northern Minnesota's wooded region and located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, Bemidji State University sponsors 15 varsity athletic programs with NCAA Division I men's and women's hockey membership in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and Western Collegiate Hockey Association, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).
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