ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Hamline University Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) recently announced their 2019-20 award winners. These winners are usually announced at the annual Honors Day ceremony, but were announced via social media this year.
The SAAC awards recognize a male and female student-athlete in each academic year who has shown great amounts of team leadership, fosters team camaraderie, generates athletic performance, and displays an admirable work ethic. The awards also honor a coach of the year for both male and female teams, as well as honoring a faculty/staff member. Student-athletes are nominated by SAAC representatives and then voted on by all members of SAAC. This year's award winners are listed below.
First Year SAAC Award - Jake Sullivan - Men's Soccer
-Played in 15 games on the year, making nine starts
-Recorded 832 minutes played throughout the season, the most of any first year on the team
-Named to the MIAC All-Sportsmanship Team
-Tallied four points during the season
-Scored a goal against Bethel on Sept. 28, and assisted the next two goals in the game to help the Pipers win 3-2
First Year SAAC Award - Lydia Lecher - Women's Basketball
-Named to the All-Conference and All-Rookie Team after the 2019-20 season
-Ranked 16
th in the MIAC and second on the team in scoring, with 12.4 points per game
-Led the team in field goal percentage (49.6%), ranking 10
th in the MIAC
-Reached double figures in 15 of the team's 26 games, scoring a season-high 24 points in an overtime win over Saint Mary's on January 11
-Involved in the choir at Hamline, plays piano in the music department, and is part of the US Army Reserves
Sophomore SAAC Award - Luke Siwek - Men's Basketball
-Had a breakout sophomore season, leading the men's basketball team in scoring
-Averaged 15.4 points per game, which ranked ninth in the MIAC
-Posted a 46.3 field goal percentage on the year, ranking third on the team
-Shot over 40.0% from three (41.4%), which ranked in the top-10 in the conference
-Added 60 rebounds, 40 assists, 14 steals, and three blocks throughout the season
Sophomore SAAC Award - Molly Garin - Women's Hockey
-Named to the CCM/AHCA All-America Second Team
-Along with teammate
Bre Simon, led the MIAC in points with 39
-Named to the MIAC All-Conference Team for the second year in a row
-Had at least one point in 19 of the team's 26 games
-Already ranks in the top-five in Hamline history in scoring (77 points) with two seasons to go
Junior SAAC Award - Joe Martin - Men's Track and Field
-Named a USTFCCCA All-American after qualifying for the national championships
-Won the MIAC indoor shot put title during the 2020 season with a distance of 17.32 meters
-Ranked sixth-best in the country heading into the NCAA championships
-His throw of 17.32 meters ranks tied for third in Hamline school history
-Broke the facility record at the MIAC Championships with his 17.32 meter mark
Junior SAAC Award - Helen Dolan - Women's Cross Country and Track and Field
-Became Hamline cross country's third All-American after placing 36
th at the NCAA championships
-Named a USTFCCCA All-American after qualifying for the 2020 national championships in the mile
-Was HU's top finisher in every cross country race this season
-Earned All-Region honors for a 12
th-place finish and MIAC All-Conference honors for a fifth-place finish during cross country season
-Holds the program's fourth-fastest 6k time in history, finishing in 22:04
Senior SAAC Award - Frank Gustafson - Men's Cross Country and Track and Field
-Named a USTFCCCA All-American after qualifying for the 2020 indoor national championships in the mile
-During the cross country season, earned All-Region honors with a 12
th-place finish and MIAC All-Conference honors for a fifth-place finish
-Placed second at the 2020 MIAC Indoor Championships in the mile and posted the 16
th-best mile time in the country (4:14.18)
-Will graduate with the second-best 1000m time (2:29.42) in school history, as well as the third-best mile time (4:14.10) and the fifth-best 800m time (1:56.13)
-Is known by his teammates as an incredibly hard-worker, putting in close to 100 miles during his heavy training weeks
Senior SAAC Award - Jordan Hansen - Women's Hockey
-Named to the CCM/AHCA All-America Second Team
-Became the first player in school history be named the MIAC women's hockey Player of the Year
-Named to the MIAC All-Conference Team for the second year in a row
-Will graduate ranking second in school history in points with 89, after only three seasons of play
-Led Hamline in +/-, finishing +32 on the season
SAAC Coach of the Year Award - Paul Schmaedeke - Men's Track and Field
-14-time MIAC Coach of the Year honoree
-Guided three of his athletes to All-America honors this season
-His athletes have put up 54 All-American performances between track and field and cross country in his coaching career
-Member of the Hamline Athletic Hall of Fame, as well as the Hamline Row of Fame
-Known for the positivity and guidance he has provided to his athletes over his 40-year career at Hamline
SAAC Coach of the Year Award - Alex Focke - Women's Basketball
-Led the women's basketball team to their first MIAC playoff appearance since the 2012-13 season
-Coached two All-Conference athletes this past season in
Lydia Lecher and
Reilly Geistfeld
-Has helped the program make steady progress, from placing 11
th in the MIAC his first season to placing 7
th in his second season, and placing 5
th in his third season
-He and his staff have recruited two players that were named to the All-Rookie Team in the past two seasons, in
Lydia Lecher and
Chan'el Anderson-Manning
SAAC Staff of the Year Award - IT Department
-Helped the entire university transition to online learning
-Provided support to countless student and staff to help with the transition
