ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) has announced Concordia University, St. Paul’s Kirk Ingram as the 2009 Dr. William Britton Scholar-Athlete Award winner and Concordia University, St. Paul’s Mary Slinger as the 2009 Willis R. Kelly Scholar-Athlete Award recipient. The Britton Scholar-Athlete Award for Academic Excellence, in its 25th year, recognizes the NSIC’s top male student-athlete, while the Kelly Scholar-Athlete Award, in its 24th year, is presented to the NSIC’s top female student-athlete.
This is the first time that Concordia has had a student-athlete receive this high honor from the league in 10 years as an NSIC member. It's the first time since 2004 that the NSIC has awarded the Britton and Kelly Awards to a male and female student-athlete from the same member institution (Baron Blanchard & Kristin Peterson, Northern State).
Ingram and Slinger will be recognized Friday, July 31 at the 2009 NSIC Hall of Fame Banquet at the Best Western Kelly Inn and Convention Center in St. Cloud, Minn. Ingram and Slinger will each receive a $2,500 post-graduate scholarship.
On campus, Ingram and Slinger will be recognized tomorrow, Wednesday, April 22 at the Honors Convocation at 11:00 a.m. at Graebner Memorial Chapel.
2009 Dr. William Britton Scholar-Athlete Award for Academic Excellence 
Kirk Ingram, Concordia University, St. Paul
Kirk Ingram, a native of Woodbury, Minn. and graduate of Woodbury High School, is a senior majoring in Mathematics and minoring in business at Concordia-St. Paul. He has a cumulative grade point average of 3.79 and has made the CU Dean’s List every semester. He was an NSIC Scholar-Athlete in 2008, a three-time member of the NSIC All-Academic Team and earned the Warnke Math Award (which is award to the top math student at CU).
Outside the classroom, Ingram is the President of the Tri Pi Match Club, a member of Student Athlete Advisory Committee, participates in Fellowship of Christian Athletes and in the Business Club. On the baseball diamond Ingram is the career record holder at CU in pitching appearance (60) and saves (12).
Ingram has also volunteered his time helping with the Reverse Trick or Treat (donating food to local shelters), the WBCA Think Pink (cancer awareness) and spent time helping the victims of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Kirk plans on attending graduate school to receive his MBA. Ingram is Concordia University, St. Paul’s first ever Britton Award recipient.
2009 Willis R. Kelly Scholar-Athlete Award for Academic Excellence
Mary Slinger, Concordia University, St. Paul
Mary Slinger, a native of Faribault, Minn. and graduate of Bethlehem Academy High School, is a junior double majoring in Chemistry and Biology with a minor in Spanish. She holds a 3.94 grade point average while being named to the CU Dean’s list every semester. Slinger was the CU Freshman Chemistry Student of the Year in 2006-07, a multiple NSIC All-Academic Team member and earned the President’s Scholarship Recipient (Fall 2006-Present). In 2008 she was a CoSIDA Academic All-American Third Team Member and an AVCA All-American Second Team Member.
Slinger has been involved with Tetra Delta (Science club) since her freshman year. She is currently the Vice-President of the club. She has also been involved with Tri-Pi (Math club) since her freshman year. She is currently a member of StAC (Student alumni council). Slinger currently is working on three projects that she will be presenting at the research symposium coming up this April 2009. For one of those projects describes her experiences volunteering for a non-profit organization known as Casa de Esperanza.
Slinger was a member of a volleyball team that won back-to-back NCAA Division II National Championships in 2007 & 2008. Slinger was named to the NCAA Elite 8 All-Tournament Team, the AVCA All-Central Region Team, the Daktronics All-Central Region Second Team, the NSIC All-Conference First Team and was named the NSIC Defensive Player of the Year the past two seasons. After three seasons she has racked up 1,773 career digs, moving into second place on the CU all-time list.
Along with her academic and athletic accomplishments, Slinger has volunteered extensively in the community. Specifically, she has been a volunteer lab assistant at Family Tree Clinic. She also volunteers for Casa de Esperanza where she works with the Latino communities of Minneapolis and St. Paul as a resource for the Hispanic population: translating, writing resumes, job-searching and interpreting documents. After graduating from Concordia she is interested in attending graduate school in the medical field. Slinger is Concordia University, St. Paul’s first ever Kelly Award recipient.
The Britton Award was created in 1985 in honor of Dr. William Britton, a longtime faculty representative at Bemidji State University. The Kelly Award is named in honor of Willis R. Kelly, an associate professor of physical education at the University of Minnesota, Morris. A member of the NSIC Hall of Fame, Kelly also coordinated the Minnesota-Morris Physical Education Department from 1970-87. She became the first director of women’s intercollegiate athletics at Minnesota-Morris in 1976 and was later promoted to athletic director for the whole department. Kelly passed away in 1988.
The member institutions of the NSIC nominate one male and one female student-athlete for the Britton and Kelly Awards. The nominees must meet the following criteria: a grade point average of 3.20 or better (on a 4.0 scale); evidence of academic excellence beyond the minimum grade point average (scholarship prizes and other academic recognition), evidence of participation in the life of the institution, and evidence of participation in at least two-thirds of the varsity events of the individual’s primary sport. The award is voted on by the NSIC Faculty Athletic Representatives.
The 26 student-athletes nominated for the NSIC’s two most prestigious awards will also be honored as NSIC Male and Female Honor Student-Athletes of the Year at their respective institutions.
2008-09 NSIC Men’s Honor Student-Athlete Award Winners
Jason Donnelly, Augustana College (Sr., Football, Elk Point, S.D.)
Gunther Zajic, Bemidji State University (Sr., Basketball, Linz, Austria)
Kirk Ingram, Concordia University-St. Paul (Jr., Baseball, Woodbury, Minn.)
Zach Dosch, University of Mary (Sr., Basketball / Golf, Bismarck, N.D.)
John Vaudreuil, University of Minnesota Duluth (Sr., Basketball/Baseball, Bloomington, Minn.)
John Putman, Minnesota State University, Mankato (Sr., Wrestling, Oak Lawn, Ill.)
Tyler Tubbs, Minnesota State University Moorhead (Sr., Wrestling, Chokia, Minn.)
Tim Baustian, Northern State University (Jr., Cross Country, Dell Rapids, S.D.)
Greg Laughlin, Southwest Minnesota State University (Sr., Baseball, Eden Prairie, Minn.)
Ryan Kees, St. Cloud State University (Sr., Football, Eagan, Minn.)
Brian Solemsaas, Upper Iowa University (Sr., Baseball, Bismarck, N.D.)
Luke Hoffman, Wayne State College (Sr., Football, Wakefield, Neb.)
Travis Whipple, Winona State University (Sr., Basketball, Woodbury, Minn.)
2008-09 NSIC Women’s Honor Student-Athlete Award Winners
Amy Puthoff, Augustana College (Sr., Basketball, Hartford, S.D.)
Mara Johnson, Bemidji State University (Sr., Softball, Bemidji, Minn.)
Mary Slinger, Concordia University-St. Paul (Jr., Volleyball, Faribault, Minn.)
Jessica Janusz, University of Mary (Sr., Soccer, Bismarck, S.D.)
Lindsey Clairmont, University of Minnesota Duluth (Sr., Volleyball, Long Lake, Minn.)
Alex Andrews, Minnesota State University, Mankato (Sr., Basketball, West Concord, Minn.)
Kelci Guenther, Minnesota State University Moorhead (Sr., Volleyball, Williston, N.D.)
Jill Rasmussen, Northern State University (Sr., Volleyball, Sioux Falls, S.D.)
Abby Oakland, Southwest Minnesota State (Sr., Basketball/Golf, Fulda, Minn.)
Katie Tacheny, St. Cloud State University (Sr., Basketball, Woodbury, Minn.)
Jennifer Lee, Upper Iowa University (Sr., Soccer, Kenosha, Wis.)
Brittany Van Beek, Wayne State College (Sr., Volleyball, Sanborn, Iowa)
Amelia Kasten, Winona State University (Sr., Soccer, Andover, Minn.)
Past Britton Award Recipients
2009 - Kirk Ingram, Concordia-St. Paul
2008 - Tyler Fischer, Southwest Minnesota State
2007 - Tyler Fischer, Southwest Minnesota State
2006 - Dusty Smith, Wayne State
2005 - Brett Watson, Wayne State
2004 - Baron Blanchard, Northern State
2003 - Tucker Willard, Northern State
2002 - Steven Brandt, Minnesota, Crookston
2001 - Mike May, Bemidji State
2000 - Adam Vossen, MSU Moorhead
1999 - Bart Johnson, MSU Moorhead
1998 - Stephen Blackmarr, Minnesota Duluth
1997 - Jesse Beckermann, Minnesota Duluth
1996 - Lance Luitjens, Northern State
1995 - Nate Gruber, Winona State
1994 - Jeff Engbrecht, Winona State
1993 - Jay Kusler, Northern State
1992 - Jeff Welder, Moorhead State
1991 - Scott Colbeck, Minnesota-Morris
1990 - Dwight Hager, Bemidji State
1989 - Bruce Saugstad, Southwest State
1988 - Tom Aney, Minnesota Duluth
1987 - Dale Harper, Bemidji State
1986 - Jeff Kretchman, Northern State
1985 - James Scott Bestul, Winona State
Past Kelly Award Recipients
2009 - Mary Slinger, Concordia-St. Paul
2008 - Kallie Tellefsen, Winona State
2007 - Jessica Trautwein, MSU Moorhead
2006 - Kathryn Kramer, Winona State
2005 - Lindsay Hartmann, MSU Moorhead
2004 - Kristin Peterson, Northern State
2003 - Karen Darveaux, Winona State
2002 - Christy Kubat, Southwest State
2001 - Angela Swanson, Minnesota, Crookston
2000 - Abby Stritesky, Bemidji State
1999 - Janelle Gibbs, Southwest State
1998 - Betsy Pachal, Minnesota Duluth
1997 - Mollie Odell, Northern State
1996 - Paige Karno, Southwest State
1995 - Katy Pivec, Southwest State
1994 - Amy Tenute, Moorhead State
1993 - Amy Erickson, Minnesota Duluth
1992 - Kristin Nelson, Minnesota Duluth
1991 - Jayne Dusich, Bemidji State
1990 - Mary Kortan, Northern State
1989 - Shauna Wendland, Southwest State
1988 - Tara Haiskanen, Minnesota Duluth
1987 - Teresa Greenwood, Moorhead State
1986 - Lisa Muehlbauer, Minnesota Duluth
1985 - Not Awarded
