FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (April 18, 2018) – Already at the top of the Northern Arizona Athletics Department, graduating seniors
Rene Coggins (women's basketball) and
Alina Staffeldt (swimming & diving) were honored with the university's esteemed seniors Tuesday night at the Gold Axe Awards banquet.
Along with receiving the Gold Axe Award, Coggins was a recipient of all three honors bestowed at the banquet at the High Country Conference Center. Coggins was named the Distinguished Senior for The W.A. Franke College of Business and was one of Northern Arizona University President Dr. Rita Cheng's picks for the President's Prize – the highest student recognition from the university.
The NAU Gold Axe Award dates back to 1933 and is presented each semester to honor graduating seniors for their achievements and service. It is a tribute to outstanding academic performance, leadership and service to the community. Coggins and Staffeldt bring the Athletics Department's Gold Axe recipient total to 53 since 2004. They are the second and third recipients this academic year following
Alexa Geiger (swimming & diving) during the fall 2017 semester.
Coggins received the highest of honors as she closes in on graduation with a perfect 4.00 grade point average as a triple major in The W.A. Franke College of Business. Set to graduate with degrees in accounting, finance and hotel & restaurant management while studying in the Honors College, Coggins was named the 2017 Golden Eagle Female Scholar Athlete of the Year and is the only two-time women's basketball CoSIDA Academic All-American in school history.
Coggins, a native of Mesa, Ariz., was a four-year team captain for the NAU women's basketball team from 2013-17. She finished her career as the Lumberjacks' 12th all-time leading scorer with 1,053 points and her 167 three-pointers are fourth all-time. She also finished in the top 10 in career free throw percentage (.795), assists (267) and minutes played (3,909).
Off the hardwood, Coggins was a four-year representative on the Student Athlete Advisory Committee during her playing career. This academic year, she worked in the Athletics Department as a Development and Special Event Associate. The four-time Big Sky All-Academic selection was NAU's female honoree for the Big Sky Scholar-Athlete of the Year last year in addition to being named the recipient of the Female Lumberjack Award at the Louie's Awards.
Meanwhile, Staffeldt garnered the prestigious Gold Axe Award just hours after being anointed as one of this year's Golden Eagle Female Scholar Athletes of the Year at Tuesday's Golden Eagles luncheon. Staffeldt has been near perfect in the classroom with a 3.97 grade point average in accounting.
Staffeldt will leave NAU as possibly the swimming & diving team's most decorated athlete, having won a school record 11 conference gold medals. The top point scorer on each of NAU's four WAC Championship teams in her career, Staffeldt captured three individual gold medals in both the 100 and 200 butterfly. She holds both the 100 butterfly (53.83) and 200 butterfly (1:57.66) school records and also swam on NAU's school record 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle relay teams.
The Hannover, Germany native is a four-time WAC All-Academic selection and a two-time CSCAA Scholar All-American with a third coming at the end of the academic year. Staffeldt was a member of the American Marketing Association and this year, she has worked as a tutor for accounting, management, economic and finance classes.
