The Britton Award was created in 1985 in honor of Dr. William Britton, a longtime faculty representative at Bemidji State University who served on the Athletic Board of Control of the Northern Intercollegiate Conference for 25 years. Britton retired from BSU in 1982 and passed away in March of 2019.  The Kelly Award is named in honor of Willis R. Kelly, an associate professor of physical education at the University of Minnesota-Morris. A member of the NSIC Hall of Fame, Kelly also coordinated the Minnesota-Morris Physical Education Department from 1970-87. She became the first director of women’s intercollegiate athletics at Minnesota-Morris in 1976 and was later promoted to athletics director for the whole department. Kelly passed away in 1988.

The member institutions of the NSIC nominate one male and one female student-athlete for the Britton and Kelly Awards. The nominees must meet the following criteria: a grade point average of 3.5 or better (on a 4.0 scale); evidence of academic excellence beyond the minimum grade point average (scholarship prizes and other academic recognition), evidence of participation in the life of the institution, and evidence of participation in at least two-thirds of the varsity events of the individual’s primary sport. The award is voted on by the NSIC Faculty Athletic Representatives.

The student-athletes nominated for the NSIC’s two most prestigious awards will also be honored as NSIC Male and Female Honor Student-Athletes of the Year at their respective institutions. Britton and Kelly award winners each receive a $3,000 post-graduate scholarship.

2025 NSIC Male & Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year - Britton & Kelly Award Winners/Honor Student-Athletes

2024 NSIC Male & Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year - Britton & Kelly Award Winners/Honor Student-Athletes
2023 NSIC Male & Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year - Britton & Kelly Award Winners/Honor Student-Athletes
2022 NSIC Male & Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year - Britton & Kelly Award Winners/Honor Student-Athletes
2021 NSIC Male & Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year - Britton & Kelly Award Winners/Honor Student-Athletes
2020 NSIC Male & Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year - Britton & Kelly Award Winners/Honor Student-Athletes
2019 NSIC Male & Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year - Britton & Kelly Award Winners/Honor Student-Athletes
2018 NSIC Male & Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year - Britton & Kelly Award Winners/Honor Student-Athletes
2017 NSIC Male & Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year - Britton & Kelly Award Winners/Honor Student-Athletes
2016 NSIC Male & Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year - Britton & Kelly Award Winners/Honor Student-Athletes
2015 NSIC Male & Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year - Britton & Kelly Award Winners/Honor Student-Athletes
2014 NSIC Male & Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year - Britton & Kelly Award Winners/Honor Student-Athletes
2013 NSIC Male & Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year - Britton & Kelly Award Winners/Honor Student-Athletes
2012 NSIC Male & Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year - Britton & Kelly Award Winners/Honor Student-Athletes
2011 NSIC Male & Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year - Britton & Kelly Award Winners/Honor Student-Athletes
2010 NSIC Male & Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year - Britton & Kelly Award Winners/Honor Student-Athletes
2009 NSIC Male & Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year - Britton & Kelly Award Winners/Honor Student-Athletes
2008 NSIC Male & Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year - Britton & Kelly Award Winners/Honor Student-Athletes
2007 NSIC Male & Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year - Britton & Kelly Award Winners/Honor Student-Athletes
2006 NSIC Male & Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year - Britton & Kelly Award Winners/Honor Student-Athletes
2005 NSIC Male & Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year - Britton & Kelly Award Winners/Honor Student-Athletes
2004 NSIC Male & Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year - Britton & Kelly Award Winners/Honor Student-Athletes
2003 NSIC Male & Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year - Britton & Kelly Award Winners/Honor Student-Athletes
2002 NSIC Male & Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year - Britton & Kelly Award Winners/Honor Student-Athletes
2001 NSIC Male & Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year - Britton & Kelly Award Winners/Phillips 66 Honor Student-Athletes
2000 NSIC Male & Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year - Britton & Kelly Award Winners/Phillips 66 Honor Student-Athletes
1999 NSIC Male & Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year - Britton & Kelly Award Winners/Honor Student-Athletes

 

Annual Britton Award Recipients	Annual Kelly Award Recipients
2025 - Austin Andrews, Minnesota Duluth	2025 - Liz Dierks, Augustana
2024 - Arik Johnson, Minnesota Duluth	2024 - Madeleine Schneider, Minnesota Crookston
2023 - Mitch Snitker, Winona State	2023 - Amanda Montplaisir, Minnesota State
2022 - Tyler Riemersma, Augustana	2022 - Jena Berkland, Concordia-St. Paul
2021 - Jordan Will, Minot State	2021 - Kendall Cornick, Augustana
2020 - Alex Goettl, Minnesota State	2020 - Maggie Knier, Minnesota State
2019 - Kirby Hora, Augustana	2019 - Anna Winter, Upper Iowa
2018 - Carter McCauley, Winona State	2018 - Miranda Ristau, Northern State
2017 - Joe Gomez, Northern State	2017 - Sasha Hovind, Northern State
2016 - Matt Horan, Sioux Falls	2016 - Claire Sames, Southwest Minnesota State
2015 - Kowan O’Keefe, Minot State	2015 - Whitney Burmeister, Southwest Minnesota State
2014 - William Brockmueller, Sioux Falls	2014 - Rachel Patnoe, Southwest Minnesota State
2013 - Alex Coulter, Winona State	2013 - Elizabeth (Ellie) Duffy, Concordia-St. Paul
2012 - Cody Lensing, Augustana	2012 - Kendra Heuttl, Minnesota State
2011 - Matt Braithwaite, Augustana	2011 - Rebecca Anderson, Minnesota Duluth
2010 - Marcus Greatens, Winona State	2010 - Lauren Brown, Winona State
2009 - Kirk Ingram, Concordia-St. Paul	2009 - Mary Slinger, Concordia-St. Paul
2008 - Tyler Fischer, Southwest Minnesota State	2008 - Kallie Tellefsen, Winona State
2007 - Tyler Fischer, Southwest Minnesota State	2007 - Jessica Trautwein, MSU Moorhead
2006 - Dusty Smith, Wayne State	2006 - Kathryn Kramer, Winona State
2005 - Brett Watson, Wayne State	2005 - Lindsay Hartmann, MSU Moorhead
2004 - Baron Blanchard, Northern State	2004 - Kristin Peterson, Northern State
2003 - Tucker Willard, Northern State	2003 - Karen Darveaux, Winona State
2002 - Steven Brandt, Minnesota Crookston	2002 - Christy Kubat, Southwest State
2001 - Mike May, Bemidji State	2001 - Angela Swanson, Minnesota Crookston
2000 - Adam Vossen, MSU Moorhead	2000 - Abby Stritesky, Bemidji State
1999 - Bart Johnson, MSU Moorhead	1999 - Janelle Gibbs, Southwest State
1998 - Stephen Blackmarr, Minnesota Duluth	1998 - Betsy Pachal, Minnesota Duluth
1997 - Jesse Beckermann, Minnesota Duluth	1997 - Mollie Odell,  Northern State
1996 - Lance Luitjens, Northern State	1996 - Paige Karno, Southwest State
1995 - Nate Gruber, Winona State	1995 - Katy Pivec, Southwest State
1994 - Jeff Engbrecht, Winona State	1994 - Amy Tenute, MSU Moorhead
1993 - Jay Kusler, Northern State	1993 - Amy Erickson, Minnesota Duluth
1992 - Jeff Welder, MSU Moorhead	1992 - Kristin Nelson, Minnesota Duluth
1991 - Scott Colbeck, Minnesota-Morris	1991 - Jayne Dusich, Bemidji State
1990 - Dwight Hager, Bemidji State	1990 - Mary Kortan, Northern State
1989 - Bruce Saugstad, Southwest State	1989 - Shauna Wendland, Southwest State
1988 - Tom Aney, Minnesota Duluth	1988 - Tara Haiskanen, Minnesota Duluth
1987 - Dale Harper, Bemidji State	1987 - Teresa Greenwood, MSU Moorhead & Patricia Pioske, Southwest State
1986 - Jeff Kretchman, Northern State	1986 - Lisa Muehlbauer, Minnesota Duluth
1985 - James Scott Bestul, Winona State