GRAND FORKS, N.D. - Earlier this month, former University of North Dakota two-sport star
Casie Hanson received the prestigious Today's Top VIII Award from the NCAA. In February, Hanson's acceptance of the award will be broadcast worldwide on ESPN2.
Hanson, a standout in softball (2006-10) and hockey (2005-09), received the award on Jan. 14 at the 2011 NCAA Convention in San Antonio. The NCAA Today's Top VIII Award recognizes current student-athletes who have completed their athletics eligibility for their success on the fields and courts, in the classroom and in the community.
The honorees are selected from among more than 100,000 senior student-athletes by the NCAA Honors Committee, which is composed of athletics administrators at member institutions and nationally distinguished citizens who are former student-athletes.
ESPN2 will broadcast highlights of the award ceremony on Monday, Feb. 14 at noon Central.
A native of St. Peter, Minn., Hanson led the Fighting Sioux softball team to a Great West Conference (GWC) championship in 2010 and was named GWC Player of the Year and the GWC Tournament Most Valuable Player. Hanson, who received her degree in community nutrition, also earned her third ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America honor and was named the GWC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
A two-time Division II softball All-American, Hanson graduated as the program's all-time leader in batting average (.452), hits (278), home runs (32) and runs scored (133).
During her four years on the Sioux hockey team, Hanson was a three-time Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Scholar-Athlete and WCHA All-Academic Team selection. She won the team's Academic Award in each of her four seasons and was named an ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District honoree as a senior. In 2007-08, Hanson was named WCHA Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year.
Hanson received her bachelor's degree in community nutrition from UND last spring and is a currently a graduate assistant coach with the Bemidji State University women's hockey team.
Previous notable NCAA Top VIII Award recipients include Tiki Barber, Drew Brees, John Elway, Doug Flutie, Rebecca Lobo, Eli Manning, Peyton Manning, Cheryl Miller, Tim Tebow and Steve Young.
- Go Sioux -
