Burgstahler earns MIAC Elite 22 Award
(Photo by ALEXUS JUNGLES/SJU) Former Sandpoint three-sport athlete Matthew Burgstahler, right, competes in the steeplechase for Saint John’s University en route to a third place finish. He has earned several awards as a college student-athlete.
Former Bulldog also earns SJU Man of Extraordinary
Service Award
COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. — Saint John’s University senior Matthew Burgstahler, a former Sandpoint three sport standout, earned the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference’s Elite 22 Award for men’s outdoor track and field on Monday, May 21.
Modeled after the NCAA Elite 90 Award, the MIAC Elite 22 Award for outdoor track and field is presented to the individual with the highest GPA among the All-MIAC honorees (top three individually, champion relay) at the MIAC Championships. The honoree must be a sophomore, junior or senior and in at least his second season of competition with his current team.
Burgstahler is the 11th Johnnie to earn a MIAC Elite 22 Award in all sports since the program was established prior to the 2013-14 academic year, and the first in outdoor track and field.
The MIAC Elite 22 Award recipient for cross country in October, Burgstahler graduated May 13 with a 4.0 GPA and an integrative health science degree.
He earned All-MIAC honors (top three individually, champion relay) with a third-place finish in the steeplechase as SJU claimed third place in the team competition May 11-12 at the MIAC Outdoor Championships. His time of 9:24.39 was also good for United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Central Region honors. To be selected for All-Region, a student-athlete must either be ranked in the top-five of an individual event in the region according to final TFRRS data or be part of a top-three relay team.
He achieved All-MIAC distinction (top 15) with an 8th place finish out of 203 runners Oct. 28 at the MIAC Cross Country Championship and finished 30th to earn All-Region honors (top 35) Nov. 11 at the NCAA Central Regional.
He studied abroad during spring semester 2017 in South Africa and displayed his undergraduate research at the Scholars at the Capitol event Feb. 21 in the Minnesota State Capitol rotunda. Burgstahler earned SJU’s Man of Extraordinary Service Award among the 2018 senior students.
Burgstahler played soccer, basketball and ran track while a student at Sandpoint.