For Immediate Release
Friday, November 14, 2025
NSIC Media Relations
NSIC Elite 18 Award

MANKATO, Minn. – Katrina Barthelt from Bemidji State University was named the 2025 NSIC Elite 18 Award winner for women’s soccer. Barthelt was presented the award during the pregame of the Bemidji State semifinal match at the NSIC Tournament, which is taking place at The Pitch in Mankato, Minnesota. Barthelt is a senior from Bartlett, Illinois and a graduate of South Elgin High School. She owns a 4.0 grade point average while majoring in exercise science: medical fitness.  

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.

Barthelt is just the fourth student-athlete in NSIC history to be named NSIC Player of the Year in two consecutive seasons after she led the NSIC in points in conference games totaling 25 in 15 conference matches.  She scored 10 goals in conference play, second most in the league and added five assists to tie for the fourth most. She earned NSIC Offensive Player of the Week honors twice during the season and finished the regular season leading the league with 32 points and tied for the league lead with 13 goals. She finished the regular season tied for 12th in Division II in goals and total points and ranks sixth in program history in career points (87) and fourth in career goals (38).

About the NSIC
The NSIC is a 16-team, 18-sport, NCAA Division II conference with institutions located in 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 union of Upper Midwest colleges and universities. The NSIC has won 27 team national championships and crowned 122 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.