Division II names 2022 Award of Excellence finalists

Twenty-six schools and two conferences have been named finalists for the 2022 Division II Award of Excellence, an accolade recognizing initiatives in the past year that exemplify the Division II philosophy, community engagement and student-athlete leadership. Six finalists were picked as at-large honorees for submitting a strong nomination that was not chosen as the finalist in their conference.

Division II honors its members each year for conducting events that promote student-athletes giving back and serving as leaders within their communities or on their campuses. A committee of athletics administrators determined this year's finalists, and the national Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee selects the winner, who will be announced at the Division II business session Jan. 22 at the 2022 NCAA Convention.

Each finalist will receive $500. In addition, the winner will receive $2,500, the first runner-up will receive $1,250 and the second runner-up will receive $1,000. All prize money is intended to be used for future SAAC initiatives or community engagement events.

The following are the 2022 finalists, alphabetized by conference:

School: Humboldt State University

Conference: California Collegiate Athletic Association

Event: Dam Worth It. Humboldt State is one of four schools in the Dam Worth It Class of 2021. Created in 2017, the Dam Worth It campaign uses the influential platform of sports to connect with student-athletes to end the stigma surrounding mental health. Through Humboldt State's involvement with Dam Worth It, student-athletes created a culture that values the importance of mental health. 

Conference: Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association

Event: Virtual Vibe: Tournament Edition. In response to the cancelation of the CIAA's men's and women's basketball championships, the conference connected student-athletes, fans and the Baltimore community through education sessions, concerts, community engagement opportunities and a career expo during its Virtual Vibe. This weeklong event included ample resources and support for individuals who normally attend the tournament. 

Conference: Conference Carolinas

Event: Sport Administration Mentor Program. Launched in 2021, Conference Carolinas' Sport Administration Mentor Program connects upperclassmen student-athletes interested in an athletic administration career with a mentor for the academic year. Throughout the academic year, the mentee and mentor network and discuss their field of interest. Mentees also meet with one another.

School: Daemen College

Conference: East Coast Conference

Event: Team IMPACT. Team IMPACT connects children with serious illnesses or disabilities with college athletic teams to ensure the children can experience the impact of athletics. Daemen currently has six programs with a Team IMPACT teammate: women's basketball, women's volleyball, men's basketball, men's volleyball and men's and women's cross country and track and field. In 2021, three teams hosted events to connect with their new teammate. 

School: Henderson State University

Conference: Great American Conference

Event: Military and First Responders Appreciation Day. In partnership with Henderson State's Reserve Officers' Training Corps, Henderson State hosted a Military and First Responders Appreciation Day during a home football game. This game coincided with the 20-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Active duty and retired military and first responders and families were given free admission, honored during a media timeout and provided with a tailgate meal.

School: University of Wisconsin-Parkside

Conference: Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

Event: Jockey and Parkside Partnership. Wisconsin-Parkside's partnership with Jockey has positively impacted Parkside student-athletes and the local community through volunteer opportunities. Wrestling, men's basketball and women's basketball student-athletes volunteered at the Jockey Undie Run to assist the nearly 500 participants. Parkside wrestling student-athletes also assisted a local middle school with repairing the school's garden.  

School: Rockhurst University

Conference: Great Lakes Valley Conference

Event: Alumni Night at the Ball Game. In response to not having fans inside stadiums due to COVID-19 restrictions, Rockhurst connected with fans through its virtual Alumni Night at the Ball Game. Rockhurst ran a Twitter contest, allowed fans to purchase fan cutouts to fill the seats and hosted a virtual bingo game. Each event awarded winners with Rockhurst gear and connected Rockhurst with its fan base. 

School: Walsh University

Conference: Great Midwest Athletic Conference

Event: Partnership with Vs. Cancer. In the spring of 2021, nine Walsh athletic teams partnered with Vs. Cancer to raise awareness and funds for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. Vs. Cancer works to empower athletic teams, communities and student-athletes to help kids with cancer. The nine teams involved in the partnership raised almost $12,000 for the organization. 

School: Simon Fraser University

Conference: Great Northwest Athletic Conference

Event: Strengthening Mental Health. Recognizing the negative mental health impacts of COVID-19, Simon Fraser's SAAC launched a multiyear initiative to strengthen students' and student-athletes' mental health. In consultation with the school's health and counseling department, SAAC created a "Find Your Why" campaign and shared #MentalHealthMonday social media posts and six main components of resilience with students and student-athletes.  

School: University of Alabama in Huntsville

Conference: Gulf South Conference

Event: Junior Chargers Bedtime Stories. Each Thursday during a two-month span, Alabama Huntsville student-athletes read children's books over Zoom to local elementary schools and children enrolled in the Early Learning Center on campus.  

School: Dallas Baptist University

Conference: Lone Star Conference

Event: Virtual SAAC Raffle. To raise money for its Make-A-Wish partnership, the school's SAAC hosted a virtual raffle. Students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni and the general public were invited to purchase tickets for a chance to win school gear. The raffle raised over $10,000 and allowed Dallas Baptist to host a wish reveal for a Make-A-Wish recipient.

School: University of Central Oklahoma

Conference: Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association

Event: Junior Rowing Program. The Junior Rowing Program introduced middle and high school students in the local community to the sport of rowing. Participants connected with university mentors and rowing student-athletes. In the program's inaugural year, 19 female students participated.

School: University of Charleston

Conference: Mountain East Conference

Event: Meals Up. All members of Charleston's athletic department participated in the "Meals Up" initiative, which delivered meals to those in quarantine due to the COVID-19 virus. Coaches and athletic staff members delivered hundreds of meals to those in need from Nov. 1, 2020, until May 1, 2021. This initiative was very well supported, with student organizations, faculty and staff members also assisting.  

School: Saint Anselm College

Conference: Northeast-10 Conference

Event: Make-A-Wish. Saint Anselm's men's soccer team signed Liam Bascle, a 7-year-old with malignant neoplasm of the brain, as their new teammate. Through their partnership with Make-A-Wish, Saint Anselm granted Liam's wish of playing soccer and scoring a goal. Hundreds of student-athletes and individuals from the community cheered on Liam during his National Letter of Intent signing and soccer goal. 

School: University of Minnesota Duluth

Conference: Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference

Event: Green Bandana Project and Mental Health Awareness Games. Minnesota Duluth student-athletes are working together to break the stigma surrounding mental health, support those struggling with mental illness and suicidal thoughts, and spread mental health resources. Mental health advocates display a green bandana on their bookbag to show support to anyone feeling impacted by mental health. The athletic department has pledged to host a mental health awareness game for every team in the 2021-22 academic year. 

School: Clayton State University

Conference: Peach Belt Conference

Event: Campus Beautification Initiative. Clayton State athletic teams and staff walk the campus weekly to collect any garbage left on campus. Each team is responsible for a specific week, and the initiative has made a positive impact on the campus.  

School: Bloomsburg University

Conference: Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference

Event: Protect Our Pack. To combat bullying, racism, LGBTQIA+, gender and social issues, student-athletes, coaches and administrators created the Protect Our Pack initiative. Student-athletes lead the concept and work together to create a safe space to speak up and receive support.  

School: Colorado School of Mines

Conference: Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference

Event: Team IMPACT. Through Team IMPACT, Colorado School of Mines connected with two Team IMPACT children, Eiry and Bell. Each child had a signing day to officially become a part of the team, and both were invited to team events and connected with student-athletes.  

School: Lenoir-Rhyne University

Conference: South Atlantic Conference

Event: 828 Day. Lenoir-Rhyne's annual 828 Day celebration is a student-athlete-led event that includes concerts, games and activities and food trucks. The student-athletes also allot time for a Make-A-Wish ambassador to discuss the importance and impact of Make-A-Wish. 

School: Kentucky State University

Conference: Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

Event: Virtual Reading Program. Student-athletes on Kentucky State's men's basketball team recorded themselves reading children's books and sent the recording to a school in the Frankfort community. The virtual environment allows teachers to use the recordings for years to come.

School: Eckerd College

Conference: Sunshine State Conference

Event: Athletic Diversity Action Committee. To create a more diverse, supportive and inclusive campus, Eckerd's Athletic Diversity Action Committee was launched. ADAC partnered with RISE to participate in trainings, educational programming and workshops for those on campus. The committee also distributed Black Lives Matter T-shirts for the campus and local community, produced social media campaigns called "Social Justice Sundays" and is creating a peer-to-peer mentor group for BIPOC individuals.

At-Large School: Lubbock Christian University

Event: Soles4Souls Shoe Drive. Partnering with Soles4Souls, Lubbock Christian's SAAC held a shoe drive. Each team collected shoes and asked visiting teams to bring shoes to donate. The drive collected more than 115 pairs of shoes for those in need.

At-Large School: University of Mount Olive

Event: Town Cleanup. Mount Olive's men's and women's track and field student-athletes participated in their annual cleanup day. Student-athletes collected 200 bags of trash from around town and worked together to connect with the community.

At-Large School: Northeastern State University

Event: Trunk or Treat. Northeastern State's SAAC hosted its fifth annual "Trunk or Treat" Halloween activity to raise money for Make-A-Wish. Youths in the local community were invited to come on campus, dress up in costumes and connect with student-athletes.

At-Large School: Saint Michael's College

Event: Pride Vermont Parade and Festival. Saint Michael's student-athletes participated in the Pride Vermont Parade and Festival to show support for the local LGBTQIA+ community. Student-athletes assisted in the coordination of the event and raised awareness and support.

At-Large School: Shippensburg University

Event: ONESHIP. To unite individuals of diverse backgrounds, the Shippensburg athletic department created the ONESHIP initiative. Those involved with ONESHIP created a series of programs and events to engage the athletic department. Student-athletes led two cohorts, one for student-athletes and one for coaches and administrators. A welcome-back bash, unity week and encouraging involvement in ONESHIP are a few events that were created. 

At-Large School: Southwest Minnesota State University

Event: Health Care and Emergency Personnel Appreciation Game. To honor those who are keeping their community safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, Southwest Minnesota State's SAAC dedicated the last home football game to health care workers and emergency personnel. SAAC personally invited local first responders to attend the football game with free admission and honored them throughout the game.  

At-Large School: Wingate University

Event: United Way Day of Caring. In 2021, Wingate hosted their 28th annual United Way Day of Caring. This event connected 311 volunteers, including 273 student-athletes and coaches with the local community through assisting with household maintenance for people in need.