CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) announced today that former Nebraska Wesleyan track & field student-athlete Aspen Rolfes (Lincoln, Nebraska/Lincoln Pius X) has been named the A-R-C Johanna Olson female Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the 2020-21 academic year, in the 21st year of the award. The award, the highest individual honor from the conference, goes to an alumnus from the previous academic year.

Rolfes is an eight-time All-American and four-time National Champion in the 4x400 meter relay (2018-2019). She also collected a national runner up finish in the 200-meter dash in 2021. The Lincoln, Nebraska native was a six-time conference champion and collected 19 total All-American Rivers Conference Awards during her time with the Prairie Wolves. The track athlete standout also received All-Central Region recognition in 17 total events from 2018-2021. During her time at Nebraska Wesleyan University, she found herself collecting six school records and placed all-time top 10 in 10 different events at the university. Rolfes holds the indoor and outdoor 200-meter dash record, 400-meter dash (10 lap track) school record holder, 4x100 meter relay school record holder, and 4x200 meter relay school record holder for both indoor and outdoor. 
 
Academically, Rolfes was a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American (2020-2021), four-time Central Region All-Academic Team USTFCCA (2018-2021), three-time CoSIDA Academic All-District (2019-2021), and three-time American Rivers Conference All-Academic Team honoree (2019-2021). She graduated with a cumulative GPA of 3.90 on a 4.0 scale while majoring in exercise science and minoring in psychology. She was accepted into the competitive DPT program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center to pursue becoming a physical therapist. Rolfes was also a six-time Dean’s List honoree (2017-2021) and was a recipient of the NWU Student Life Leadership Award in 2021. She was also a part of the Psi Chi Honorary (2020) and the Phi Espilon Kappa Honorary (2020).
 
Her community service included making quilts to donate to the less fortunate, volunteering at a church garage sale, and being a church carnival volunteer. She also volunteered at the Nebraska Wesleyan University Track Camps from 2019-2021. Rolfes was also involved in many other ways by being a member of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC), a student recruiter for prospective track student athletes, and being a member of the health and human performance club. 

“This is the highest honor that we can bestow on a student-athlete in the American Rivers Conference and once again, we had an incredible list of candidates," said Commissioner Hammes. "Nebraska Wesleyan's Aspen Rolfes and Dubuque's Zach Naatz rose to earn their school's nomination and then received the well-deserved votes of the Faculty Athletics Representatives on the selection committee. The duo personifies what it means to be a fully integrated student-athlete in the American Rivers Conference, demonstrated by their exemplary work in the classroom, success in the athletic arena and investment in the community. I congratulate both of them, along with all the other young men and women who were nominated by their schools.”
 
Rolfes is currently attending the University of Nebraska Medical Center working on her Ph.D. in physical therapy, while working at Lincoln Orthopedic Physical Therapy, P.C. as a Physical Therapy Technician. This is the third consecutive year that a Nebraska Wesleyan student athlete has earned the Scholar-Athlete of the Year award. Rolfes follows Andy Valquez (2019-20) and Elizabeth Jones (2018-2019), who are both former track and field atheltes.

What They Say About Aspen Rolfes
 
Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Ted Bulling: “Aspen set the standard for our program’s student-athletes with her determination and consistent high-level effort. She sets high goals for herself, analyzes what she needs to do in order to accomplish those goals and then sets out with dogged determination to reach them…During my career, I have been blessed to work with many outstanding scholar-athletes who have achieved academically and athletically at very high levels. I can say however that Aspen Rolfes has combined leadership skills, service, academic success and athletic prowess in a way that puts her at the very top of that list.”

Associate Director of Admissions and Athletic Recruitment, Josh Wall: “Aspen put her head down and accomplished everything she set out to achieve, a rarity in a world filled with distraction and opportunity to lower our expectations. She is grounded, competitive, and has perspective that sets her apart from others I’ve coached in the past. Aspen showed up and worked hard and had a lot of joyful moments along the way as well.”

Assistant Professor of Health and Human Performance, Gina Chambers, M.Ed.: “Aspen has been an outstanding representative of Nebraska Wesleyan University showing grace in the face of victory and poise in defeat. Without fail, Aspen will credit her teammates and coaches for her success and always emphasized team goals over her personal accomplishments. Even more, other members of the track team view her as a leader. Aspen has won numerous awards at the conference, regional, and national levels and handled it all with unparalleled class.”

Associate Professor of Exercise Science, Tamra Llewellyn, Ph.D.: “Aspen is unique because of her amazing drive and her outgoing personality, but more so because she is humble and always eager to learn and get better. It’s these qualities that have given Aspen so much success in the classroom and on the track. Aspen has high expectations for herself and those around her and I am excited to see how she develops through her graduate training and beyond.”

Also nominated for the 2020-21 Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year were Central softball player Sara Tallman and Dubuque women’s golfer Daniela Miranda.

The Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year is selected among the finalists by a vote of the A-R-C Faculty Representatives (FAR).

About the 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 originally for former Wartburg College and Conference sports information director Duane Schroeder in May 2002. The women’s award was renamed in 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. 

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.