Senior Joe Daly (Owatonna, Minn.) tied for medalist honors with a two-day total of 149 (+5), which included a one-under par 71 on Sunday, to lead No. 7 Saint John’s to to a win at the St. Olaf Invitational on Sunday, May 3. SJU shot a second-round total of 302 to edge Bethel (613) by one stroke and erase a nine-stroke deficit.
Daly was then named the recipient of the fourth annual College Sporting News Senior Student-Athlete Award for the MIAC on Monday, May 4.
Daly is the second Johnnie to earn the honor and first since linebacker Matt Hawn won the inaugural award in 2006.
The "CSN SSAA" is awarded to one male and one female senior student-athlete who personify what the MIAC and Division III represent: academic excellence, outstanding athletic performance, and a commitment to community service. The recipient is selected by a committee comprised of former MIAC student-athletes, administrators and coaches.
A member of the two-time defending national champion SJU golf team, Daly was a third-team All-American in 2008, as well as an GCAA All-District selection. He was medalist at the MIAC Meet his freshman year, winning MIAC Freshman of the Year honors, and was fifth overall this fall.
An accounting major with a 3.76 GPA, Daly is a three-time Academic All-MIAC honoree and was named an All-American Scholar in 2008. He is a Regent Scholar, SJU’s top academic scholarship.
Daly’s community service includes four years of involvement with Big Brothers/Big Sisters, being part of the group that founded SJU’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes, volunteering with the Red Cross, being involved in the Student Senate and serving as the group’s President two years.
The Johnnies return to action May 13-16 as they aim for their third consecutive national title at the 2009 NCAA Division III Championship in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
