For Immediate Release
Thursday, April 24, 2025
NSIC Media Relations

BURNSVILLE, Minn. – Bemidji State University’s Sophie Groen was voted by the league coaches as the NSIC Outstanding Senior of the Year in women's tennis. A native of Uitgeest, Netherlands, Groen is majoring in sport management / psychology and holds a 3.48 cumulative grade point average. 

The “NSIC Outstanding Senior of the Year Award” is presented to a NSIC Women's Tennis student-athlete who participates at their institution for four years and is academically superior while making a positive contribution to their team and the University. The NSIC Outstanding Senior of the Year award was initiated in 2020-21 to honor an outstanding senior that exemplifies the attributes of the model NSIC student-athlete.

Groen has played in 14 matches at No. 1 singles is 8-6 against opponents and 4-5 against conference opponents. She has played 15 matches at No. 1 doubles with Mia Leshem and is 11-4 and 5-4 against conference opponents. She finished sixth in the conference at No. 1 singles with a .538 winning percentage and third in No. 1 doubles with a winning percentage of .714. Holds a 25-15 career record at No. 1 singles and 31-11 at No. 1 doubles. She was honored as an All-NSIC First Team player in doubles, and an All-NSIC Second Team All-Conference player in singles twice in her career. 

Off the court, Groen is Student-Athlete Advisory Committee leader for BSU. She has worked with the United Way Food Shelf Drive, BSU Blood Drive, Bemidji Veterans Home service, Jack & Jill Pre-School volunteer, and has volunteered for the Special Olympics.

Academically, Groen has been a member of the Presidents Honor Roll, Dean's List, a Myrtie Hunt Scholarship recipient, and a Chet Anderson scholarship recipient. She also an NSIC All-Academic Team member.  

"Sophie epitomizes the spirit of the Senior of the Year award," said Head Coach Kyle Fodness. "She has been an integral leader on the team from the moment she stepped on campus, and has remained a steady source of optimism, support, and conscientious leadership for her teammates through the triumphs and adversities of her college career. She has been an excellent player, and is an even more impressive person. She has become a leader in the Bemidji State athletic department and has made a tremendous positive impact in the campus community."

About the NSIC
The NSIC is a 15-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 16-team union of Upper Midwest colleges and universities. The NSIC has won 27 team national championships and crowned 121 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.