ST. PAUL, Minn. – Three Macalester College student-athletes were recognized by the MIAC with the MIAC Elite 22 Award, the conference announced today. Seniors Tyler Edwards (Beaverton, Ore./Oregon Episcopal) of the men's cross country team and Hazel Waters (Berkeley, Calif./Berkeley) of the women's soccer team, and junior cross country runner Ingrid Norquist (Minneapolis, Minn./Anoka) received the MIAC Elite 22 Award for their respective sports.

The MIAC Elite 22 Award recognizes the true essence of the term "student-athlete" by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the conference championship level in their sport while also achieving the highest academic standard among their peers. Modeled after the NCAA Elite Scholar-Athlete Award (formerly Elite 90), the MIAC Elite 22 Award is presented to the student-athlete with the highest grade-point average (GPA) in each sport who meets similarly high, sport-specific athletic requirements. For cross country, student-athletes must have finished among the top 15 finishers at the MIAC Championships. For soccer, the student-athletes with the highest GPA among qualifying teams for the MIAC Playoffs receive the MIAC Elite 22 Award.

Edwards is an economics major at Macalester with a cumulative GPA of 3.95. Earlier this month, he earned All-MIAC honors for the second year in a row after finishing 15th at the MIAC Championships on Nov. 1. Also an All-Region performer in 2024, Edwards has earned Academic All-District and Academic All-MIAC honors for both cross country and track & field each year he has been eligible.

Waters has been a key contributor on the women's soccer team's back line, serving as the Scots' starting central defender the past two seasons. One of the team's leaders in minutes played, she helped Macalester record five shutouts this fall while making the MIAC Playoffs as the fifth seed. Waters has a 4.00 GPA as a chemistry major and is a two-time Academic All-District and All-MIAC honoree.

Norquist has had an outstanding fall for the cross country team, taking sixth at the MIAC Championships and placing ninth at the NCAA North Region Meet to earn All-MIAC and All-Region accolades. Her performance at the regional qualified her for the NCAA Championships this weekend in Spartanburg, S.C. Norquist is majoring in Spanish and psychology at Macalester and has a 3.96 GPA.

This is the first time that three Macalester student-athletes have won the MIAC Elite 22 Award in the same season. Since the creation of the award in 2013, eight Scots have won 12 MIAC Elite 22 Awards. Below is a list of Macalester's Elite 22 Award recipients.

Macalester MIAC Elite 22 Award Winners
2015-16 - Kimber Meyer, women's cross country
2016-17 - Kimber Meyer, women's cross country
2016-17 - Kimber Meyer, women's indoor track & field
2016-17 - Kimber Meyer, women's outdoor track & field
2017-18 - Hannah Sonsalla, women's indoor track & field
2017-18 - Hannah Sonsalla, women's outdoor track & field
2022-23 - Julia Kispert, women's soccer
2023-24 - Reece McKee, men's cross country
2023-24 - Ian Staresinic, men's soccer
2025-26 - Tyler Edwards, men's cross country
2025-26 - Ingrid Norquist, women's cross country
2025-26 - Hazel Waters, women's soccer

Click here to view the MIAC's release.