BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – Senior Jamie Bimberg (Chanhassen, Minn.) of the College of Saint Benedict hockey team has been named a winter sports recipient of the MIAC Elite 22 Award for hockey, the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced Thursday (March 12).

An accounting major with a 3.98 GPA, Bimberg becomes the first CSB hockey student-athlete in program history to earn the MIAC Elite 22 honor. She is the 11th student-athlete from Saint Benedict to receive the

award, with the Bennies totaling 13 honorees all-time including multiple-time recipients Tracy Renier (outdoor track and field, 2020-21 and 2021-22) and Fiona Smith (cross country, 2022-23 and 2023-24). Previous CSB Elite 22 recipients include Piper Murray (soccer, 2013-14), Kathryn Gaydos (volleyball, 2013-14), Natalie Amundson (golf, 2016-17), Hunter Weiss (volleyball, 2018-19), Abby Willenbring (soccer, 2021-22), Maria Bedford (tennis, 2022-23), Olivia Thompson (volleyball, 2023-24), and Ashley Tarrolly (tennis, 2023-24).

The MIAC Elite 22 Award recognizes the true essence of the term "student-athlete" by honoring the individual who reaches 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 90 Award, the MIAC Elite 22 Award is presented to the student-athlete with the highest grade-point average in each sport who also meets sport-specific athletic requirements.

In sports with MIAC postseason tournaments, the award is presented to the student-athlete with the highest GPA on the active postseason roster of a playoff-qualifying team. Recipients must be juniors or seniors in at least their second full academic year at their current institution, with ties broken by total credits earned.

During the 2025-26 season, Bimberg has played a key role on defense for the Bennies, helping the program capture its first MIAC Playoff Championship and earn a berth in the NCAA Division III Ice Hockey Championship. Saint Benedict will face No. 5 Amherst (19-2-1) at 2 p.m. Saturday in Amherst, Mass., in the first round of the national tournament. Bimberg also helped the Bennies set a single-season program record with 16 wins. She is also part of a senior class that has helped lead the Bennies to 53 career wins, the most by a graduating class in program history.

Bimberg has appeared in 27 games this season, recording one goal and five assists while adding 15 blocked shots. Over her career, she has played in 88 games, totaling three goals, eight assists, 11 points, and 67 shots. Academically, Bimberg continues to excel. In 2024-25, she earned Academic All-MIAC honors for both hockey and golf for the second consecutive year and was also named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team.