Elizabeth Lofstad ’22 has been named the 2023 women’s UMAC Scholar-Athlete Leadership Award winner. This award recognizes athletes who have excelled academically, demonstrated leadership skills, and provided community service. Lofstad was selected as the winner from a group of finalists who were nominated by the UMAC Faculty Athletics Representatives.
Lofstad is a two-year team captain in both Cross Country and Track & Field. She has earned multiple academic accolades and maintained a 4.0 GPA while completing her degree in American Sign Language in just 2.5 years.
During her track career, Lofstad has received multiple awards and notable recognition, including being twice named the NCCAA North Region Runner of the Year. She is the second-most decorated female Track and Cross Country athlete in NCU history, and was most recently recognized as NCU’s 2023 Female Athlete of the Year.
In addition to her athletic and academic achievements, Lofstad has also been actively involved in student leadership in NCU’s American Sign Language Student Organization, and in community service
and internships serving the Deaf community.
Lofstad, who graduated in December, was honored to be selected from among conference athletes she met while competing for NCU. “Sports have always been so much more than just fitness to me,” Lofstad said. “They provide community, passion, dedication, and an outlet that is so good for my mental health. I always knew I wanted to run in college and was very glad to be able to be part of the track and cross country teams.”
Track Coach Paul Theorin weighed in on Lofstad’s selection for the UMAC honor. “My first year as the head track and field coach was also Liz’s first year at North Central University and as a student-athlete on a team of nine track athletes,” Theorin said. “Since then, we have grown the track and field team to over 40 athletes, and Liz has been a huge asset in driving the culture of the program and putting NCU on the map. Liz will go down as one of the best student-athletes in North Central’s history. This award is testament to her daily approach as a student-athlete, team leader, and community member.”
Since graduation, Lofstad has been utilizing her degree working as an ASL interpreter for Sorenson Communications and ASL Interpreting Services. But her running days are far from over: she has started training for the Twin Cities Medtronic Marathon in October 2023.
Information for this article was provided by the UMAC.
