For Immediate Release
Wednesday, May 17, 2023
NSIC Media Relations

NSIC Women’s Track Athlete of the Year
Lindsay Cunningham (Distance, Jr., Wisconsin Dells, Wis. / Wisconsin Dells HS) - Winona State
- Won two events at NSIC Outdoor Championships, setting one record
- Won the 10,000m by nearly two minutes with a time of 35:06.41
- Ranks first in NCAA Division II this season with a time of 32:43.64, ran at the Mt. SAC Relays 
- Won the 5000m run in a NSIC record time of 15:48.64, besting the record by nearly 40 seconds
- Ranks first in NCAA Division II this season with a time of 15:45.91, ran at the Drake Relays 
- Named USTFCCCA National Track Athlete of the Week for Division II for her performance at the Drake Relays  
- Named NSIC Track Athlete of the Week three times this outdoor season

NSIC Women’s Field Athlete of the Year
Arika Harbo (Multis/Jumps, Sr., St. Paul, Minn. / Concordia Academy) - Concordia-St. Paul
- NSIC Outdoor Champion in the heptathlon (5129 points) and high jump (1.78m).
- Broke the NSIC record in the high jump which she set in 2022
- Scored 20.75 points scored at NSIC championships
- Ranked third nationally in the high jump at 5-10 (1.78m)
- Ranked ninth nationally in the heptathlon at 5193 points scored at the Bryan Clay Invitational
- Ranked in the top 30 in the NSIC in three individual field events HJ (1st), LJ (7th), JT (14th)
- Named NSIC Field Athlete of the Week on April 11 

NSIC Women’s Newcomer of the Year
Lexi Hurst (Throws, Sr., St. Paul, Minn. / Armstrong HS) - Minnesota State
- Scored 26 points at the NSIC Outdoor Championships
- Won the shot put and was third in the discus and the hammer throw to earn All-NSIC honors in each event
- Ranks second in NCAA Division II this season with a throw of 52-1.25 (15.88m) in the shot put
- Ranks 13th in NCAA Division II in the discus at 157-11 (48.13m)
- Named NSIC Field Athlete of the Week three times this outdoor season

NSIC Women’s Assistant Coach  of the Year
Chris Parno - Minnesota State 
- Coaches student-athletes that scored 107 of the NSIC record 272.4 team points at the NSIC Championships 
- Coached two of the NSIC’s top point scorers (Denisha Cartwright 32.5, Makayla Jackson 24.5) at NSIC Championships
- Coached Cartwright to three NSIC records along with the 4X100 relay team at 2023 NSIC Championships 
- Had nine student-athletes earn All-NSIC honors and two relays
- Named NSIC Assistant Coach of the Year for the second straight season

NSIC Women’s Coach  of the Year
Mike Turgeon - Minnesota State 
- Led the Mavericks to their fourth NSIC Team Champion and second straight title
- His team had NSIC Champions in nine events and two relays
- Coached 22 All-NSIC performers plus two relay teams
- Second NSIC Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Coach of the Year honor

All-Conference performers consist of the top three place winners in each event and the members of the top two relay teams from the conference meet. 2023 All-NSIC Performers

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 105 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 can 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.