McLean County Times

Illinois Wesleyan University women's golf standout Lexi Onsrud, who graduated this past May, received another accolade on Thursday, Aug. 29. She was named the Division III Commissioner's Association/Chi Alpha Sigma Region VIII Women's Student-Athlete of the Year. Wheaton College's Anthony Fitzgerald won the award on the men's side, making the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin one of four conferences to sweep awards among the 10 regions.

This distinction adds to a long list of accomplishments for Onsrud, including College Sports Communicators Academic All-America of the Year, CSC First Team Academic All-America, Women's Golf Coaches Association All-Region, All-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW), CCIW Woman of the Year, NCAA Elite 90 Award recipient, Academic All-CCIW, and WGCA Scholar All-American.

Onsrud was named all-region for the third time in her career with a scoring average of 75.9 over 26.5 rounds in 11 tournaments during the 2023-24 season. She finished in the top 20 in eight out of these tournaments with four top-five finishes, including a third-place finish at the CCIW Championship earning her fourth All-CCIW accolade. The Normal, Ill., native concluded her collegiate career by posting the second-lowest 72-hole score at the NCAA Championship with a score of 301 to tie for 17th place.

Onsrud is the first IWU student-athlete to be named D3CA Regional Student-Athlete of the Year since Ellen Gilbert received it in 2022.

Each winner will advance to a national ballot for consideration for the 2023-24 D3CA Men's and Women's Student-Athlete of the Year.

Selection criteria included academic achievement, athletic excellence, service and leadership, and a personal statement submitted by each nominee. Voting was conducted by commissioners within each region with top male and female honorees recognized as finalists for selection by an Awards Committee.

The two national winners will be announced later this month.

The Division III Commissioners Association (DIIICA) became a stand-alone organization in January 1992 aiming to facilitate shared learning among its members. It collaborates closely with organizations such as NCAA and NACDA to improve communication and service to student-athletes.

Chi Alpha Sigma is a nonprofit organization established in 1996 to recognize college student-athletes excelling both academically and athletically. Founded by former DePauw University head football coach Nick Mourouzis, it connects outstanding student-athletes within a fraternal association that aligns their educational and athletic successes for life.