Burgstahler earns prestigious cross country honor
(Courtesy photo) Former Sandpoint runner Matthew Burgstahler became the first Johnnie ever to garner a MIAC Elite 22 Award in cross country.
COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. — Former Sandpoint three-sport standout and current Saint John’s University senior Matthew Burgstahler earned the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Elite 22 Award for men’s cross country on Monday.
Modeled after the NCAA Elite 90 Award, the MIAC Elite 22 Award for cross country is presented to the individual with the highest GPA among the top 15 finishers at the MIAC Championship. The honoree must be a sophomore, junior or senior and in at least his second season of competition with his current team.
An integrative health science major with a 4.0 GPA, Burgstahler earned All-MIAC honors (top 15) with an eighth-place finish out of 203 runners as SJU finished third Oct. 28 at the MIAC Championship. He once again led the Johnnies in 30th place to earn All-Region honors (top 35) as SJU claimed eighth Nov. 11 at the NCAA Central Regional. The team finish was the Johnnies’ 35th top-eight finish in their last 36 NCAA regionals (dating back to 1982), including five titles and 23 top-finishes.
Burgstahler, who played soccer, basketball and ran track at Sandpoint, is the 10th Johnnie to earn a MIAC Elite 22 Award since the program was established prior to the 2013-14 academic year, and the first in the sport of cross country.