FULL LIST OF 2017-18 HONOREES
PHOTO GALLERY
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (April 17, 2018) – For the 40th consecutive year, Northern Arizona Athletics held the Golden Eagle Awards presented by Ginny L. Clements on Tuesday at the High Country Conference Center. A total of 183 student-athletes received Golden Eagle Awards at the landmark luncheon.
Matt Baxter was named the Golden Eagle Male Scholar Athlete of the Year, while Brooke Andersen and Alina Staffeldt shared the top honor on the women's side.
The Golden Eagle Awards has become an integral part of the Northern Arizona University tradition, having first been presented in the spring of 1979. Over 3,400 awards have been presented over the past four decades to student-athletes who have made significant contributions to Lumberjack athletes while maintaining a minimum of a 3.00 grade point average.
Baxter was the top male Scholar Athlete with a 3.33 cumulative grade point average in criminology & criminal justice. The New Plymouth, New Zealand native has been a big time member of the two-time defending NCAA Cross Country National Championship team, picking up All-American honors during both title runs in 2016 and 2017.
He is also a two-time indoor track & field Second Team All-American and a first team All-American honoree during his outdoor track career. A Big Sky All-Academic honoree, Baxter has earned three career Big Sky silver and two bronze medals.
Andersen, one of the most decorated track & field throwers in both school and conference history, was one of two recipients of the top female Scholar Athlete honor. An environmental sciences major with a minor in biology, Andersen holds a 3.45 cumulative grade point average. She is the Big Sky record holder in both the hammer and weight throw, and she also recorded the sixth all-time best performance in the hammer throw in NCAA history earlier this outdoor season.
The native of Vista, Calif. has earned three Big Sky gold medals and two bronze medals in her career, and has competed at three NCAA Championships. Andersen was the 2017 NCAA runner-up in the hammer throw in addition to receiving CoSIDA Academic All-District awardee.
Sharing the Female Scholar Athlete of the Year honor was Staffeldt, who carries a 3.97 grade point average in accountancy. She finished her career with the swimming & diving team with a school record 11 conference gold medals. An integral member of four team WAC championships, Staffeldt was a three-time conference champion in the 100 and 200 butterflies.
Staffeldt notched seven NCAA B standard times in her four-year career and is a part of four school records. Individually, the Hannover, Germany native holds the program's fastest times in both butterflies as well as two relays. She is a four-time WAC All-Academic selection and will earn her third CSCAA Scholar All-American award at the end of the year.
The NAU football team had the most honorees with 38 total with the swimming & diving team having 28 student-athletes honored. The women's track & field and cross country program received 26 awards, while the soccer team had 23 awardees.
Of note, the NAU golf team had all seven of their student-athletes honored on Tuesday. They were joined by swimming & diving, volleyball, women's basketball, women's track & field and cross country and soccer who had more than 60 percent of their respective rosters on the Golden Eagle list.
