BURNSVILLE, MINN. -- Seniors Krista Goerger and Joey Wehrkamp of the University of Sioux Falls are among the 32 student-athletes named Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Male and Female Honor Student-Athletes of the Year, according to an announcement Friday (April 29) by the league office.

The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) announced Augustana University's Tyler Riemersma as the 2022 Dr. William Britton Scholar-Athlete Award winner and Concordia University, St. Paul's Jena Berkland as the 2022 Willis R. Kelly Scholar-Athlete Award recipient. The Britton Scholar-Athlete Award for Academic Excellence, in its 38th year, recognizes the NSIC's top male student-athlete and the Kelly Scholar-Athlete Award, in its 37th year, is presented to the NSIC's top female student-athlete.  

USF's nominee for the Britton Scholar-Athlete Award for Academic Excellence, which recognizes the NSIC's top male student-athlete, was Wehrkamp. The USF nominee for the Kelly Scholar-Athlete Award, which is presented to the NSIC's top female student-athlete, was Goerger. The Britton Award was created in 1985 in honor of Dr. William Britton, a longtime faculty representative at Bemidji State University. The Kelly Award is named in honor of Willis R. Kelly, an associate professor of physical education at the University of Minnesota-Morris. Honor student-athlete nominees must maintain a grade point average of 3.5 or better (on a 4.0 scale); exhibit evidence of academic excellence beyond the minimum grade point average (scholarship prizes and other academic recognition), participate in the life of the institution, and participate in at least two-thirds of the varsity events of the individual's primary sport. The award is voted on by NSIC Faculty Athletic Representatives.

Both Goerger and Wehrkamp have excelled at USF, both in competition and in the classroom.
 
Earlier this week, Wehrkamp was named the USF Athletes Male Student Athlete of the Year. Named to the Associated Press All-American Team, Wehrkamp is USF's first-ever national finalist for both the Gene Upshaw Lineman of the Year and Cliff Harris Defensive Player of the Award. Wehrkamp earned first team All-NSIC honors in 2021, led USF to a South Division title as well as 32 wins in his career and two DII playoff berths.

During his career, the two-time Academic All-NSIC honoree from Sioux Falls, S.D., has accumulated 17.5 sacks - ninth all-time at USF - and 34 TFLs - 10th all-time at USF. In making 46 straight starts, Wehrkamp, who is enrolled in USF's Master of Business Administration program, accumulated 132 tackles with 83 solo stops, nine pass breakups, four fumble recoveries, and three forced fumbles.

Goerger, who became USF's first-ever first-team CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2021 and was the program's first-ever four-time Academic All-NSIC honoree as well as NSIC Elite 18 Award recipient, finished as USF's career leader with 3,452 set assists and 126 service aces.

A second-team All-NSIC honoree this year, she was also second all-time at USF with 9.5 assists per set and fourth with 0.3 service aces per set while ranking sixth in digs with 665, eighth in sets played with 363 and matches played with 106. In earning second team All-NSIC honors, Goerger was fourth in the in the NSIC and 25^th in DII with 10.67 assists per set with 1,056, which ranks third all-time at USF. She will attend graduate school at the University of Michigan where she will study for a PhD in pharmacology.