MIAC ELITE 22 AWARD - 2016-17 WINTER SPORTS

MINNEAPOLIS -- For the second year in a row, an Augsburg University men's hockey player has earned the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Elite 22 award for academic excellence in his sport, with Brett Bukowski (SR, Superior, Wis./Superior HS) earning this season's honor, it was announced on Wednesday.

The MIAC's Elite 22 Award, modeled after the NCAA's Elite 90 honor, is given to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average among competing teams at MIAC playoff championship games in team sports, and among all-conference honorees at MIAC championships in individual sports. According to the MIAC, student-athletes must have achieved sophomore status and be in at least their second seasons with their current team.

Bukowski is a biology major with a perfect 4.0 grade-point average, and is part of an Augsburg men's hockey squad that has excelled both on the ice and in the classroom. Of the 27 players on the team, 23 have cumulative GPAs at Augsburg of 3.75 or better, including 11 with Augsburg cumulative GPAs of 3.90 or better and eight with perfect 4.00 Augsburg cumulative GPAs.

A defender, Bukowski is a member of an Auggie men's hockey squad that claimed the MIAC playoff championship for the third straight year, qualifying for the NCAA Division III national tournament for the fifth time in school history. The Auggies (18-9-0 overall, 10-6-0 MIAC) will host Marian (Wis.) in an NCAA playoff first-round game game this Saturday (3/10) at 7 p.m. at Ed Saugestad Rink.

Bukowski has scored two goals with an assist for three points in 23 games played this season. In his 71-game collegiate career, Bukowski has scored three goals with eight assists for 11 points.

The MIAC's Elite 22 award was established in the 2013-14 school year. Augsburg has now had five Elite 22 honorees, with men's golfer Brett Buckingham earning the honor this past fall. Chris Nuth (men's hockey) and Megan Johnson (women's hockey) earned the honor in the 2016-17 school year, and Lauren Rice earned the honor for women's indoor track and field in 2013-14.