For Immediate Release
Friday, November 4, 2022
NSIC Media Relations
NSIC Elite 18 Award

MANKATO, Minn. – Kelly Kleekamp of Augustana University was named the 2022 NSIC Elite 18 Award winner for women’s soccer.  Kleekamp was presented the award during the pregame of the Augustana semifinal match at the NSIC Tournament, which is taking place at The Pitch in Mankato, Minnesota. Kleekamp is a senior from Olathe, Kansas and a graduate of St. James Academy.  She owns a 4.0 grade point average while majoring in biology.  

As part of the NSIC 25th Anniversary celebration during the 2016-17 academic year, the NSIC Elite 18 Award was instituted to recognize the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the NSIC Championship level in their sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among their peers. The NSIC Elite 18 award is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NSIC’s 18 Championships.

Kleekamp has started all 12 matches she has played in during the 2022 season. She has five points after scoring a goal against Sioux Falls and adding three assist.  She had a season high shots (5) and shots on goal (3) against MSU Moorhead.  In her career, Kleekamp has started in 34 of 48 matches played with nine points on three goals and three assists from her center midfielder position.  

About the NSIC
The NSIC is a 16-team, 18-sport, NCAA Division II conference with institutions located in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The NSIC is a model Division II conference that uses high-level athletics competition to develop champions in the classroom and community while empowering student-athletes to be impactful and positive leaders. Formed in 1992 by the merger of the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (men’s league) and the Northern Sun Conference (women’s league), the NSIC has flourished over the past quarter century, maturing into a 16-team union of Upper Midwest colleges and universities. The NSIC has won 25 team national championships and crowned 96 individual national champions. For additional information, visit NorthernSun.org.

About NCAA Division II
The NCAA, the national governing body for college athletics, is a volunteer association of more than 1,000 colleges and universities that classify their athletics programs in one of three membership divisions. The 300+ institutions in NCAA Division II support a balanced approach in which student-athletes have the opportunity to earn scholarships based on their athletic ability, pursue their desired academic degree, and participate in all the campus and surrounding community have to offer. Division II student-athletes annually graduate at rates higher than their student body peers, and they have access to the best championships-participant ratio among the NCAA’s three divisions. Division II gives student-athletes the unique opportunity to compete in the classroom, on the field, in their career, for their causes, and on their terms. For additional information, visit NCAA.org.