WAYNE – A pair of Wayne State College Wildcat senior student-athletes were recently recognized with a conference-wide award.
According to a release from the Wayne State College Athletics Department, Sophia Ketchmark and Ethan Knudson were announced as 2019-20 NSIC Honor Student Athletes.
The league office in Burnsville, Minnesota announced that Minnesota State football player Alex Goettl received the Dr. William Britton Scholar Athlete Award the league’s top male student athlete and Minnesota State swimmer Maggie Knier was awarded the Willis R. Kelly Scholar Athlete Award as the NSIC’s top female student athlete.
Both Wayne State honorees were Academic All-Americans this season in the classroom while each earning All-NSIC honors on the playing field.
Ketchmark is a 5-4 senior midfielder from La Vista (Omaha Gross HS) and maintained a 4.00 grade point average majoring in biology and life sciences as a member of the Wildcat women’s soccer team. She earned All-NSIC Second Team honors this season after leading the Wildcats in scoring with seven points on two goals and three assists. Ketchmark led the team in minutes played (1,612) and scored two goals in a 2-0 win at Minnesota Crookston on October 27th. She also assisted goals at Sioux Falls, vs. Minot State and vs. Northern State. Ketchmark was an All-NSIC Honorable Mention selection last season as a junior and is a three-time selection to the NSIC All-Academic Team.
Knudson, a 6-3, 185-pounder from Harlan, Iowa (Harlan HS), was the first Wildcat football player to be named First Team Academic All-American since linebacker Luke Hoffman in 2008 and carried a 3.92 grade point average majoring in industrial technology and construction management.
On the field this season, Knudson made 12-14 field goals and 28-29 PAT kicks for the Wildcats to earn All-NSIC South Division honorable mention for the second time in his Wildcat career (2016). He was fourth in the NSIC in field goals made and seventh in kicking points and was tied with Luke Williams of Minnesota State for the fewest missed kicks in the NSIC this season (three).
Knudson became Wayne State’s all-time field goal leader this season (38-49) and finished second in career kicking points with 226.