Sioux City, Iowa – The Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) is proud to announce those chosen as the 2021 nominees for the top honors in the NAIA, including the A.O. Duer Award, the Emil S. Liston Award, Dr. LeRoy Walker Champions of Character Award and the NAIA Coach of Character Award.
“The GPAC had another outstanding group of nominees this year and I could not be more proud of the student-athletes of our conference,” said GPAC Commissioner Corey Westra. “I have no doubt that the GPAC nominees again will be strong candidates at the national level. Naming these nominees is one of most exciting things we do as a conference each year.”
The national winners will be named during the NAIA National Awards Day on September 15, 2021. The NAIA winners will be recognized as part of the NAIA National Awards Luncheon at the NAIA National Convention next Spring in Kansas City, Missouri (April 8-12, 2022).
A.O. Duer Award
The A.O. Duer Scholarship Award is named in honor of the NAIA’s former executive secretary who served the association for 26 years. This award has been annually presented since 1967 to a male and female student-athlete completing their junior season in any sport who has excelled in scholarship, character, and citizenship.
Female Nominee: Mika Kooistra, Dordt University
The female nominee for the A.O. Duer Award is Mika Kooistra, a member of the Dordt University Track and Field Team. She is a five-time NAIA All-American and 11-time Alll-GPAC Performer for the Defenders.
Kooistra, from Emo, Ontario, Canada, is majoring in Biology/Environmental Science with a 3.922 GPA.
“Mika possesses a number of characteristics that have led to her success,” said Dordt Track and Field Coach Dr. Craig Heynen. “She is a very focused athlete who is consistent in her training, but she is also a leader on campus and involved in a number of campus activities.”
Dordt Cross Country Coach Nate Wolf says, “Mike has an infectious personality, she has the rare ability to make her teammates feel safe and special with a smile and personal question. She is a worthy recipient of the NAIA A.O. Duer Award.”
NAIA Emil S. Liston Award
The Liston Award is named in honor of the NAIA’s first executive secretary and the prime mover behind the NAIA Men’s Basketball National Tournament. The award has been presented annually since 1950 to one junior men’s and one junior women’s basketball student-athlete who has shown high athletic and scholastic achievement.
Female Nominee: Devin Kemble, Northwestern College
Devyn Kemble, a women’s basketball player from Northwestern College, is the GPAC female nominee for the NAIA Emil S. Liston Award.
Kemble, from Panora, Iowa, holds a GPA of 4.0 while majoring in Nursing at Northwestern.
“Devyn is kind and compassionate and consistently demonstrates accountability in academics and her clinical practice,”said Dr. Tatum Geerdes, Assistant Professor of Nursing at Northwestern. “Her professional demeaner is evident throughout her conversations with faculty, coaches, patients, and peers. She is a dyaminc leader inside and outside the classroom”
Former Northwestern Women’s Basketball Coach Chris Yaw said, “Devyn’s commitment to excellence is exhibited through her basketball growth, but her commitment is also prevalent in the classroom through her relationships with others. She is a fantastic representation of what a Raider Student-Athlete is.”
Dr. LeRoy Walker Champions of Character Award
Nominee: Matthew Van Eps, Dordt University
Matthew Van Eps, of Dordt University, a native of Prinsburg, Minnesota, is the GPAC nominee for the Dr. LeRoy Walker Champions of Character Award. This award is presented annually to an NAIA Student-Athlete who embodies the NAIA Champions of Character initiative and the five core values of respect, integrity, responsibility, servant leadership, and sportsmanship.
Van Eps graduated in May of 2021 with an Electrical Engineering Major and a 3.752 GPA. He was a member of the Dordt Track and Field program. He was an 11-time NAIA All-American and won five NAIA National Championships in his time as a Defender runner. He was also a 22-time All-GPAC performer.
“Matthew’s success is directly related to his humble nature, strong faith, and incredible will to run,” said Dordt Cross Country Coach Nate Wolf. “By his accountability and responsibility, he has earned the respect of his coaches and fellow teammates.”
“At the beginning of my senior year we had a team meeting and I said, ‘I need to be a leader this year'”, said Van Eps. “I have tried to show my teammates and others around me how to persevere and be conscientious about the choices they made and the effects their choices had. I sought to be reliable and helpful and show responsibility as a Student-Athlete of the NAIA.”
The national winners will be announced during the 2021 NAIA Awards Day on September 15.
