Mara McGill

Matt Murphy

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Mara McGill and Matt Murphy of The University of South Dakota are among the 14 Honor Athletes recognized by the North Central Conference, according to an announcement by the league office on Thursday, May 10.

McGill, a senior track and field standout from Beresford, S.D., is one of seven women's student-athletes honored while Murphy, a senior football standout from Rapid City, S.D., is among the seven male athletes recognized.

Each school in the league selected its top male and female student-athletes on the basis of academic performance, athletic ability as well as leadership in campus and community activities. In addition, the student-athletes were required to either graduate this spring or be within 12 hours of graduation. The select group will be honored at the NCC Honor Awards Dinner on May 21 in Sioux Falls, S.D. The NCC Scholar Athlete Award will be presented to a male and female student-athlete who is among the 14 honor candidates announced today.

Aside from McGill, the other female candidates included: Alison Adamson, Augustana (basketball); Michelle Burgard, North Dakota (track and field); Beth McGill, Nebraska-Omaha (soccer); Kari Hudson, Minnesota State (softball); Brenda Peters, St. Cloud State (swimming and diving); and Katie Winkelman, Minnesota-Duluth (basketball).

Along with Murphy, the other male student-athletes included Luke Anderson, Minnesota State (basketball); Michael Greenwood, North Dakota (football); Cody Henriksen, Augustana (wrestling); Matt Hockett, Minnesota-Duluth (basketball); J.D. Naig, Nebraska-Omaha (wrestling) and Adam Sullivan, St. Cloud State (basketball).

McGill, who has been accepted into the USD Sanford School of Medicine and will begin classes in the fall, was named USD's Scholar Athlete of the Year earlier this week. McGill, who will graduate with a 4.0 grade point average in biology/pre-medicine and as a member of the U's Honors Program, plans to become a primary care physician and specialize in pediatrics or internal medicine. McGill has been one of the leaders of a South Dakota Women's Track and Field squad that won two consecutive NCC Triple Crowns (titles in track and field and cross country in same year) and is going for its fourth straight NCC outdoor crown this weekend in Duluth, Minn. McGill is a five-time national provisional qualifier and the 2006 NCC heptathlon champion. In 2007, she finished second in the NCC heptathlon and has NCAA DII provisional qualifying marks in the 100-meter hurdles and the heptathlon.

A recipient of the Mickelsen Scholarship, she has been inducted into the most prestigious undergraduate honor society in the U.S. - the Phi Beta Kappa society. A year ago, she received the Nelson Shield Award from the USD College of Arts and Sciences as the junior with the highest GPA and she has made the Dean's List every semester at USD.

McGill was named to the 2006 NCC Commissioner's Academic Indoor Track and Field Honor Roll and selected to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District VII Women's Track and Field/Cross Country second team in 2006 as well as the 2006 U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic DII Squad.

Active in undergraduate research, McGill has received a research fellowship from an EPSCoR grant and conducted research in the Basic Biomedical Sciences lab. A mentor to fellow student-athletes, she has been an academic advisor for women's track for two years. She has volunteered at the Newman Center, offering free child care. McGill has also worked at the Welcome Table, a community dinner on Mondays for disadvantaged people in Vermillion. She has been active with the Adopt-A-Grandparent program (pairing students with residents from a local nursing home) and worked with USD's Special Olympics Field Day.

Murphy, who has been accepted into the USD School of Law, was named the USD Male Scholar Athlete of the Year. Murphy, who had a 3.899 grade point average in business, was a defensive line standout on USD's nationally-ranked football team which had a 9-4 record, advanced to the DII playoffs for the first time in 20 years and finished the season ranked 13th in the country.

Murphy, who had a minor in criminal justice, was a second team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American in fall 2006 and twice was named to the NCC Commissioners Academic Football Honor Roll. He was an Academic All-NCC selection for two consecutive years (2005, 2006).

A team captain for the Coyote football team, he recorded 16 tackles, including six solo stops, four tackles for loss and two quarterback sacks for the top-ranked defense in the NCC in 2006.

Led by Murphy, the Coyote defense limited opponents to 73.8 yards rushing, which ranked fifth nationally. Murphy, who received the USD Bulldog Award for work and dedication, started 19 games and played in 45 during his career at USD, in which time the Coyotes had a 32-14 overall record and won an NCC title in 2005. His career numbers include 51 career tackles, six quarterback sacks, 12.5 tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble.

Murphy graduated Magna Cum Laude in December 2006, was a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma (business honor society), and has received academic scholarships from both the USD business and law schools. He was involved in community service as a student-athlete, including serving with the Vermillion Cleanup Day, the Punt, Pass and Kick competition as well as helping coordinate a field day for Jolly Elementary in Vermillion, S.D. A two-time participant in the Coyotepoly Food Drive, Murphy also participated in the Dance Marathon fundraiser for charity.