Quartet Win NAIA Scholar-Athlete Honors

Oskaloosa–Four members of the Statesmen men’s lacrosse team were honored for their excellence in the classroom as they were named 2023 NAIA Scholar-Athletes Tuesday.

Breck Putzier (So., Minneapolis, Minn., Kinesiology) heads the crew with a 3.96 Grade Point Average.

Collin Baliva (Jr., St. Louis, Mo., Mechanical Engineering), at 3.74, and Jon Bell (Sr., Castle Rock, Colo., Sociology), at 3.72, are next, while Tyler Colwell (Jr., Denver, Colo., Mechanical Engineering) also eclipsed the mark at 3.54 GPA.

Baliva, Bell, and Colwell all received their second accolade, while Putzier is a first-time recipient.

A total of 83 men’s lacrosse players from within the NAIA were awarded the laurel.

To be eligible for the award, athletes must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or above on a 4.0 scale, have attended the nominating institution for one full year prior to nomination, and must appear on the sport’s eligibility paperwork.