ST. PAUL -- Northwestern College announced its male and female winners of the 2011-2012 Eagle Award on Tuesday, with men's track and field thrower Taylor Gish (Lincoln, Neb./Lincoln Southeast) and women's golfer Kristina Siemens (Watertown, S.D./Watertown) being honored for their work both inside and outside of the athletic arena.

The Eagle Award, which was first given out at the end of the 1994-1995 academic year, is awarded each spring to one male and one female senior student-athlete that demonstrate outstanding qualities in each of the following areas: academic performance and achievements, athletic honors and ministry opportunities. Student-athletes are nominated for the award by their coach and voted on by the entire athletic department coaching staff and administration.

Gish, a kinesiology major, has made his mark on Northwestern's indoor and outdoor track and field programs in many ways, most visibly in the school's record books. As someone who has competed in six different events over the course of the last four years, Gish has set multiple school records, breaking his own mark several times. Gish was the 2012 UMAC Indoor Field Event Athlete of the Meet, the 2011 NCCAA Weight Throw and Hammer Throw National Champion and is ranked in the top 25 in the NCAA Division III in both the hammer and weight throw events.

Outside of the track and field, Taylor has won multiple UMAC and NCCAA scholar-athlete honors and has consistently been named to Northwestern's dean's list. He currently holds volunteer internships on campus at Northwestern and at the University of Minnesota. Gish has been his team's leader in multiple areas and has taken that leadership to the youth level, coaching kids in track and field during the summers in his home state of Nebraska.

Siemens, an international business major has been a three-year captain of the Northwestern women's golf team and is the first women's golfer to win the Eagle Award. Siemens was named the UMAC Player of the Year on two occasions and has earned All-UMAC and All-NAC honors in each of her four years on the golf course.

In the classroom, Siemens was a two-time UMAC Academic All-Conference selection, an NCCAA Academic Scholar-Athlete in 2011 and was also selected to Northwestern's dean's list. She has been active in many campus groups throughout her time as a student, including the student-athlete advisory committee (SAAC) and student government, where she served as a senior senator. Siemens went on a mission trip to Guatemala in the spring of 2011 and has helped with vacation bible school programs at her home church in South Dakota.

Previous Eagle Award Winners:
2011 - Monte Abeler (Baseball), Alyssa Borgstrom (Softball)
2010 - Nick Olson (Golf), Steph Koth (Volleyball)
2009 - Zach Marshall (Cross Country, Track and Field), Kathryne Engel (Volleyball)
2008 - Daniel Hanson (Basketball), Shelby Baker (Tennis, Basketball)
2007 - Tyler Anderson (Tennis), Sarah Zosel (Volleyball)
2006 - Mark Patnode (Football), Lindsay Sir (Volleyball)
2005 - Jeff VerSteeg (Basketball), Katie Luecke (Basketball)
2004 - Troy Naki (Football), Sara Tonneson (Basketball)
2003 - Jon Peterson (Football, Track and Field), Christine Engel (Volleyball)
2002 - Mark Maranell (Football, Track and Field), Sarah Ostercamp (Cross Country)
2001 - Dan Westin (Basketball), Rachel Larson (Soccer)
2000 - Seth Thompson (Baseball), Emily Crabtree (Basketball)
1999 - Mikel Olson (Football), Tessa Weber (Cross Country)
1998 - Brent Torrenga (Football, Basketball), Sonya Bugbee (Track and Field)
1997 - Jeremy Eby (Soccer), Joleen Carstens (Basketball)
1996 - Dave Ostercamp (Basketball, Baseball), Annette Leander (Basketball)
1995 - Tim Skelly (Basketball), Betsy Riess (Cross Country, Track and Field)