Wednesday, September 8, 2021

CLEVELAND – Typifying the best in athletic and academic success, Northwest Nazarene’s Ben Johnson and Seattle Pacific’s Dania Holmberg have been selected by the Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) as the organization’s 2021 West Region Scholar-Athletes of the Year.

The duo was voted upon by commissioners from a list of nominees from each of the West Region conferences. There were eight male and eight female regional winners in the program.

With a 3.98 GPA as a biology major, Johnson was the recipient of the NCAA Elite 90 award for the Division II Baseball Championships, recognizing the player at the championships with the highest cumulative GPA. A First Team All-GNAC and Second Team NCBWA All-West Region selection as a utility player in 2021, Johnson batted .328 with 42 hits, five doubles, two home runs and 21 RBI as he helped lead the Nighthawks to the GNAC and NCAA West Region championships.

A three-time GNAC All-Academic selection, Johnson was also named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District 8 Baseball Team.

Holmberg, who has a 3.91 GPA as a psychology major, was named the GNAC Outdoor Championships Women’s Track Athlete of the Meet after she won both the 1,500 meters (4:27.31) and the 5,000 meters (17:43.57). She went on to place ninth at the NCAA Championships in the 1,500, running a season-best time of 4:25.74. Holmberg also owned the conference’s top time in the 5,000 meters, a 16:57.27 run at the Peyton-Shotwell Invitational on April 23.

Holmberg was named a CoSIDA Second Team Academic All-American in August after earning third-team honors in 2020 and is a six-time GNAC All-Academic selection (three in cross country, three in track and field).

Dalton Bolton of West Liberty University was named the D2CCA Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Kendall Cornick of Augustana (S.D.) University was named D2CCA Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year.