ROLLA, Mo. – Missouri S&T has been named as the winner of the Great Lakes Valley Conference's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee's Challenge Trophy for the 2014-15 season, as announced today by the league office.

S&T edged the University of Indianapolis – who won the award in six of the first seven years in which it was presented – for the top spot this year with a total of 663 points to 620 for the Greyhounds.  The points are awarded throughout the academic year based on a scoring model in six areas that are attributes to NCAA Division II – service, learning, passion, sportsmanship, balance and resourcefulness.

It is the first time in the eight-year history of the GLVC award that Missouri S&T has come out on top.  The trophy will be presented to the institution on Tuesday, May 19 at the Enterprise Rent-a-Car Spring Awards Banquet in St. Louis – where S&T will also have three alumni honored as John Gibson will receive the Bertram Alumni of Distinction Award and Jordan Henry and Tamara McCaskill will be inducted into the league's Hall of Fame.

"This is a tremendous honor from the GLVC for all of our student-athletes, our program, and our campus," said S&T director of athletics Mark Mullin.  "It was a true collaboration with our Student-Athlete Advisory Committee leading the charge.  All of our teams participated in at least one community service project and nearly every student-athlete contributed to the Make-A-Wish Foundation fundraising effort.  The SAAC Challenge is a very special, comprehensive award as the competition centers around community service, academic success, sportsmanship and raising funds for Make-A-Wish. 

"Our SAAC leaders worked extremely hard throughout the year in all of these areas and I could not be more proud of their efforts and especially the way they have eagerly served others," Mullin added.  "Shelby Michaelis deserves special recognition as she served as our SAAC president this past year and led the effort that culminated with this honor. "   

In order to be eligible for league's SAAC Challenge trophy, schools must participate in a community engagement or service project, raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and nominate another league member team for the annual GLVC/SAAC sportsmanship awards throughout the season.

In addition, points are awarded to schools based on the number of Academic All-Conference representatives and GLVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards it received in the previous academic year.

Missouri S&T has raised just over $9,000 of the combined $25,159.89 raised by the 16 GLVC member institutions for Make-A-Wish during the 2014-15 academic year, more than $4,500 over last year's league record total raised for the organization.

2014-15 GLVC/SAAC CHALLENGE TROPHY STANDINGS

1. Missouri S&T, 663 points
2. Indianapolis, 620 points
3. Rockhurst, 565 points
4. William Jewell, 438 points
5. Drury, 431 points
6. Illinois Springfield, 416 points
7. Truman State, 407 points
8. Missouri-St. Louis, 359 points
9. McKendree, 325 points
10. Quincy, 315 points
11. Bellarmine, 268 points
12. Lewis, 261 points
13. Saint Joseph's, 238 points
14. Wisconsin-Parkside, 235 points
15. Maryville, 215 points
16. Southern Indiana, 202 points