CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) announced today that former Nebraska Wesleyan University track & field student-athlete Elizabeth Jones (Omaha, Neb./Millard North) has been named the A-R-C Johanna Olson Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the 2018-19 academic year. The award, the highest individual honor from the conference, goes to an alumnus from the previous academic year.
 
The NWU standout sprinter was a seven-time NCAA national champion (4x400 Meter Relay) and a 13-time NCAA All-American (400 Meter & 4x400 Meter Relay). She holds school records in five different events in both indoor and outdoor seasons. She was named the Nebraska Wesleyan Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2019 with her sister Kaylee. 
 
Academically, Jones was a three-time CoSIDA Academic All-American, including being the 2019 Google Cloud/CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year. She was also on the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association’s (USTFCCCA) All-Academic team all four years in an NWU uniform. Jones was an Exercise Science major at Nebraska Wesleyan University, graduating with Highest Distinction Honors and with a GPA of 3.93. 
 
Elizabeth served her community and campus community in many different capacities. She assisted the Admissions office with the hosting of prospective students, worked with the NWU Alumni Office. In the Lincoln community Jones was a physical therapy aid at a local rehabilitation hospital, led liter pick up activities for Keep Lincoln and Lancaster County Beautiful. Her final two years at NWU, Jones was the Devotional Team Leader for the Prairie Wolf Track & Field team. 

"I want to recognize all of the student-athletes who were nominated for our conference's highest honor," said A-R-C Commissioner Chuck Yrigoyen. "Elizabeth Jones makes history today as the first Johanna Olson Scholar-Athlete of the Year from Nebraska Wesleyan University. Her career embodies national excellence in her sport of track and field, exemplary accomplishment in the classroom, and service to the greater good."
 
Athletic Achievements:

• Seven-time NCAA Champion (4x400 Meter Relay)
• 13-time NCAA All-American (400 Meter & 4x400 Meter Relay)
• Nine-time Conference Champion (400 Meter & 4x400 Meter Relay)
• School Records
  • Indoor 400-meter (55.19)
  • Outdoor 400-meter (54.74)
  • Indoor 4x400-meter relay (3:43.98)
  • Outdoor 4x400-meter relay (3:41.09)
  • Outdoor 4x200-meter relay (1:40.40)
• Six-time Conference Track & Field Athlete of the Week (Individually and with Relay Team)
• NCAA Central Region Indoor Track Athlete of the Year (2018)
• Nebraska Wesleyan Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year (2019) 

Scholarly Achievements:

• Graduated with Highest Distinction Honors
• Academic Honors list all four years at Nebraska Wesleyan University
• Google Cloud/CoSIDA Academic All-American
  • 2017 - 2nd Team
  • 2018 - 1st Team
  • 2019 - 1st Team
  • 2019 - Google Cloud/CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year
• United States Track & Field & Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCA) All-Academic Team
  • 2016
  • 2017
  • 2018
  • 2019
• Conference All-Academic Team
  • 2017
  • 2018
  • 2019
• Nebraska Wesleyan Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year (2019)

Community / Campus Service:

• Open Door Mission, Lydia House (Omaha, Neb.) Volunteer - Helped women and children in need. These people were in need of shelter, food, clothing, and simply knowing someone cared.
• Keep Lincoln and Lancaster County Beautiful Volunteer - Led various liter pick up activities and promoted the value of a clean community. Promoted the Storm Water Awareness Program (SWAP) focusing on the importance of the storm drain system and preventing liter.
• Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital Volunteer - As a physical therapy aid, assisted in the treatment of various patients. Also did office tasks. 
• Lincoln Community Garden Volunteer - Helped with maintenance (weeding, planting, watering, clean up, etc.) of one of the Lincoln Community Gardens. 
• Student-Alumni Volunteer - Helped with alumni events on and off campus at Nebraska Wesleyan. Did many tasks including greeting and registering guests, speaking to guests about my NWU experience and future plans, helping with food service, event site set up and clean up. 
• Student-Recruiting Volunteer - Assisted the admissions office with hosting prospective students and parents for lunch, giving tours, speaking with groups of students and parents at various functions. 
• Research Volunteer - Served as a research participant in the Psychology and Human Performance departments with various research projects.
• Cornhusker State Games Ambassador (2019) - Along with Kaylee, we served as the opening ceremony torch bearers and also as ambassadors for the Nebraska State Games. Besides the torch responsibilities, we promoted the State Games (media events, interviews, signing autographs, etc.).

Leadership Activities:

• Devotional Team Leader (2018-2019) - Led the team devotional committee. Scheduled weekly speakers, set up room, led some devotionals herself. 
• Led study groups for various classes in the science department.
• Led Bible studies for residence hall students and track team members.

What They Said About Elizabeth Jones:
 
Ted Bulling, Ph.D., Director of Cross Country and Track & Field / Assistant Professor of Education/HHP, Nebraska Wesleyan University
“On a day to day basis she was remarkably consistent academically and athletically. Her study habits and practice habits were a great example of what planning, organizing, and focus can help a person accomplish.”
 
Tamra L. Llewllyn, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Exercise Science, Nebraska Wesleyan University
“When I think about Elizabeth’s legacy at NWU, it’s not all of the championships and All-American awards that I’ll remember most. Rather, I will recall her selfless spirit, the curious learner, and the quiet leader that she was in the classroom.”
 
Cindy Marolf, EdD, Assistant Professor of Biology, Nebraska Wesleyan University
“Academically, Elizabeth is an outstanding student and has a great attitude and work ethic. I would rank her in the top 5% of our students I have taught in the last 30 years. She is a role model for her classmates and a dream student for her professors.”
 
Also nominated for the 2018-19 A-R-C Johanna Olson Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year were former Central College softball student-athlete Mariah Fritz, former Coe College softball player Alyssa Olson, former Loras College softball, swimming & diving, and track & field student-athlete Mikaela Lengwin, and Wartburg College women’s basketball student-athlete Adrienne Boettger.
 
The A-R-C Johanna Olson Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year is selected from among the finalists by a vote of the A-R-C Faculty Representatives (FAR).
 
About Scholar-Athlete of the Year Awards
 
The American Rivers Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards were first presented in December 2001 for the 2000-01 academic year. To be eligible for nomination, a student-athlete shall have graduated or exhausted their athletic eligibility during the academic year for which the award is given. The nominee must have demonstrated a high level of accomplishment and achievement in a varsity sport, have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale), and show evidence of scholarly achievements, community service involvement, and leadership. Both awards were named for former Wartburg College and Conference sports information director Duane Schroeder in May 2002. The women’s award was renamed in December 2013 for former Luther College student-athlete Johanna Olson - the inaugural winner of the women’s award - who lost a courageous battle with cancer in January 2013. 
 
Previous recipients of the Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year include Johanna Olson (2000-01, Luther College track and cross country), Brianne Schoonover (2001-02, Wartburg College basketball and track), Jessica Jensen (2002-03, Buena Vista University basketball and track), Raegan (Schultz) Wagner (2003-04, Central College volleyball and track), Amy Ernst (2004-05, Coe College softball), Katie Pederson (2005-06, Central College volleyball and track), Abby Erion (2006-07, Loras College track & field), Kristy (Upah) Staker (Coe College volleyball and softball), Kelsey Steffens (2008-09, Wartburg College volleyball and track & field), Hannah Baker (2009-10, Wartburg College track & field), Jill (Zivkovsky) Halcomb (2010-11, Central College track & field), Kelsey (Kittleson) Millonig (2011-12, Luther College softball), Shari Huber (2012-13, Luther College softball), Ramey Sieck (2013-14, Wartburg College volleyball), Bailey Wilson (2014-15, Wartburg College volleyball), Kaitlin Phillips (2015-16, Loras College basketball), Clare Slagel (2015-16, Luther College Swimming), Lori Obendorf (2016-17, Loras College basketball), Anna Strien (2017-18, Luther College softball).
 
About Johanna Olson
 
The American Rivers Conference Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year award is named in honor of the late Johanna Olson, a former cross country and track & field student-athlete at Luther College who was the inaugural recipient of the award. Olson battled brain cancer for over 15 years before her fight ended on January 3, 2013, at age 33. She was originally diagnosed with a brain tumor as a college freshman in 1997 but went on to win the 2000 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championship three years to the day after her initial brain surgery. In addition to the national title in cross country, she won three Conference Individual Championships and three Conference Most Valuable Runner awards (1999, 2000, 2001). In track and field, she was the 2001 Conference Most Valuable Performer, earning All-America honors in the 3,000- and 5,000-meter runs. Olson was also a member of the 2001 distance medley relay team that captured the indoor national title. She was named the United States Track Coaches Association (USTCA) regional and national Athlete of the Year in both cross country and track and field in 2000-01. In 1991, Olson was presented the Honda Awards Inspirational Athlete of the Year after returning from radiation treatments to compete at the national level. 

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