MIAC RELEASE

SAINT PAUL, MINN.—Hamline University women's basketball junior guard Larisa O'Neil earned the 2022-23 MIAC Women's Basketball Elite 22 Award. She is the first Hamline women's basketball recipient, and the fifth in school history after Helen Dolan (women's cross country) in 2019-20, and Mark Volker (men's indoor track & field) in 2013-14 / 2014-15, and Madison Kolbow (women's hockey) in 2018-19.

O'Neil, who carries a 3.97 cumulative GPA as a communication major, played in all 27 games and owned a team-leading 49 three-point field goals made for the Pipers in 2022-23.

In all sports with MIAC team postseason tournaments, including basketball and hockey, 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 swimming & diving and indoor 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.