NMU names Laura DeWitt as Athlete of the Year
Wed, Apr 28, 2010 - By David Faiella
MARQUETTE, Mich. – Laura DeWitt from the Northern Michigan University Nordic ski team and Mark Olver from the Wildcat hockey team have been named the NMU Athletes of the Year. The award is based on athletic performances from the 2009-10 academic year. A male and a female were selected.
For DeWitt this is the second year in a row she has been named the NMU Athlete of the Year. During the 2009-10 academic year, she was named the Central Collegiate Ski Association (CCSA) Female Athlete of the Year and was selected to the All-CCSA team as a first team selection. At the NCAA Skiing Championships, DeWitt earned All-America honors by placing eighth in the 5K classic (17:19.4), she also competed in the 15K freestyle race at the NCAA event with a 12th place showing (43:26.2). At the NCAA regional, DeWitt won the 5K classic (16:59.1) and was third in the 10K freestyle (30:26.1).
Olver, who recently signed a contract with the Colorado Avalanche, was a Top 10 Finalist for the Hobey Baker Award for the past season as well as a first team All-American (West). He led the NMU hockey team in goals (19), assists (30) and points (49) for the 2009-10 season. Olver was the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) top scorer in conference games with 35 points on 17 goals and 18 assists. A first team All-CCHA selection, Olver was named the CCHA Player of the Month for February as he was also picked for the CCHA Offensive Player of the Week three times during the season.
Both student-athletes received their awards at the Student-Athlete Awards Banquet, Saturday, April 24.