Former Bulldog earns All-MIAC academic honor

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. — Sophomore Matthew Burgstahler was one of nine Saint John’s University track and field student-athletes earning Spring Academic All-Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honors for the 2015-16 academic year, announced by the conference on Tuesday.

Burgstahler, an integrative health science major with a 4.0 GPA, earned his first academic honor as a member of the SJU cross country team last fall and picked up his second by placing seventh outdoors in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

The former Sandpoint cross country, basketball and track standout, who holds the school record for the 800 meters, helped the Johnnies finish second among 11 teams at the MIAC Outdoor Championships in May.

To be honored, student-athletes must be a sophomore, junior or senior with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.50 on a 4.00 scale to qualify for Academic All-MIAC recognition. To be eligible athletically, student-athletes in track and field must score in an individual event (top eight) or compete on a relay team at the MIAC Championships.

For the second time in the last three years, SJU led the conference with 63 male Academic All-MIAC honorees in 2015-16, six ahead of second-place St. Thomas (57).

SJU finished third out of 11 teams at the MIAC Indoor Championships, which was the program’s best placement since it claimed second in 2007 and 2008, and the 10 All-MIAC honors (top three individually, champion relay) were the most since 2007 (10).

Burgstahler will be a key member of both the cross country and track teams as a junior.