ST. JOSEPH, Minn. — A year marked by excellence in academics, athletics and perseverance was celebrated Monday as the College of Saint Benedict Athletic Department honored its top student-athletes, teams and award winners during the annual Bennie Athletic Awards ceremony on May 11.

Hosted by CSB Director of Athletics Kelly Anderson Diercks, the event recognized accomplishments from the 2025-26 academic year and featured several of the department's highest honors.

Among the top awards presented was the Presidential Award, which was presented to Ellie Peterson (St. Anthony Village, Minn.), while Megan Morgan (Winona, Minn.) earned the Dr. LuAnn Reif Scholar-Athlete of the Year honor. Molly Miller (Rosemount, Minn.) was also recognized with the Margy Hughes Inspirational Award for her resilience in overcoming a season-ending injury and cancer while continuing to serve as an inspiration to teammates and the campus community.

CSB/SJU President Brian J. Bruess, Ph.D., presented the Presidential Award to Peterson, highlighting her achievements in the classroom, on the field and through community involvement. 

An exercise and health science major with a 3.83 GPA, Peterson has twice been named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team and is a two-time Academic All-MIAC selection. She is also a member of the Chi Sigma Alpha national honor society.

On the softball field, Peterson has built one of the most accomplished careers in program history. A three-time All-MIAC honoree and MIAC Pitcher of the Year, she currently owns a 16-5 record with a 2.01 ERA and 13 consecutive victories this season. In 24 appearances, she has recorded 17 complete games and four shutouts.

Peterson has also etched her name throughout the CSB record book. She tied the school record for career wins with 56, ranks second all-time in complete games with 53 and owns the program record for career starts with 79. She also ranks third in career shutouts with 13.

Morgan, a senior guard on the basketball team, received the Dr. LuAnn Reif Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award, which is presented annually to a junior or senior student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA and most credit hours completed. CSB faculty athletic representative Dr. Carrie Hoover presented the honor to Morgan.

A 4.0 student in exercise and health science, Morgan concluded a standout basketball career after appearing in 95 games for the Bennies. She averaged 9.1 points and 4.3 rebounds while playing 27 minutes per game during her career.

 

Morgan earned All-MIAC honors as a junior and honorable mention All-MIAC recognition as a senior. She was also a two-time Academic All-MIAC selection and earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors.

She finished her career with 866 points, 188 assists, 64 steals and 28 blocks while shooting 82.1 percent from the free-throw line. Morgan also posted 41 career double-digit scoring games, including six performances of 20 points or more.

The Scholar-Athlete of the Year competition featured 11 nominees, all of whom carried perfect 4.0 grade-point averages. The award was ultimately determined by total credit hours earned. 

Other nominees included Brooke Andries (Marshall, Minn.), volleyball; Mary Blaska (Vadnais Heights, Minn.), soccer; Tess Cavanaugh (Edina, Minn.), lacrosse; Karoline Curlo (Elko New Market, Minn.), cross country/track and field; Myah Nelson (Brainerd, Minn.), track and field; Samantha Solheid (New Prague, Minn.), track and field; Avery Soli (Ham Lake, Minn.), soccer; Kate Stadum (Brainerd, Minn.), volleyball; Addison Stephani (Blaine, Minn.), soccer; and Rachel Weber (Loretto, Minn.), track and field.

Miller's selection for the Margy Hughes Inspirational Award stood out as one of the ceremony's most powerful moments. The sophomore soccer player endured a season-ending injury before later being diagnosed with cancer and undergoing treatment. Despite the challenges, she displayed remarkable strength and resilience throughout her recovery while continuing to inspire those around her.

 

The Bennies also celebrated academic success across all athletic programs. The CSB basketball team earned Academic Team of the Year honors with a combined 3.842 GPA, narrowly edging cross country (3.760) and golf (3.752).

Overall, CSB student-athletes posted a department-wide GPA of 3.685 during the 2025-26 school year, an increase from 3.608 the previous year. Every varsity team recorded at least a 3.3 GPA, while 12 programs achieving a team GPA of 3.5 or higher.

Senior Ella Steinke (Plymouth, Minn.) of the lacrosse team also addressed attendees during the ceremony, delivering the annual "Senior Reflection" and sharing insights from her experience as a Bennie student-athlete.

In addition, nominees for the CSB Athletics' Rookie of the Year and Athlete of the Year were named and will be announced in June.