09/03/2020
Chi Alpha Sigma announces 2019-20 Scholar-Athlete of the Year honorees
RIVER FALLS, Wis. -- Loras College women's cross country and track and field graduate Audrey Miller and North Carolina State men’s swimming and diving alumnus Andreas Vazaios have been named the 2019-20 National College Athlete Honor Society Scholar-Athletes of the Year, Chi Alpha Sigma announced today.
The Scholar-Athlete of the Year award recognizes one male and one female student-athlete who have each demonstrated academic and athletic achievement, as well as service and leadership both on-campus and in the community. Nominees must be junior or senior Chi Alpha Sigma inductees who have maintained a minimum of a 3.40 cumulative grade-point average (GPA) throughout their collegiate
careers and demonstrated how their experiences as scholar-athletes have influenced and empowered them to be successful after graduation.
Miller (Sr. | Appleton, Wis.) competed in both cross country and track and field at Loras where she was a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American. Miller was the 2016 runner-up at the NCAA Division III Cross Country National Championship and placed 25th as a senior, making her a two-time NCAA Division III All-American and USTFCCCA Scholar All-American. She holds the program record in 6,000-meter races and is the highest national finisher in program history. A four-time Academic All-Conference honoree in cross country, Miller also earned four All-America nods in track and field. She finished her career holding the 3,000- and 5,000-meter records indoors, along with the 5,000- and 10,000-meter records outdoors.
In the classroom, Miller graduated this past spring with a degree in chemistry. She was the Freshman and Senior Chemistry Award winner as well as a McElroy Graduate Fellowship recipient and has presented her research at multiple national conferences. Earlier this summer, Miller was also nominated for the prestigious NCAA Woman of the Year award and was announced as a recipient of an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. She will continue her education at the University of California-Davis where she will work towards a Ph. D in Geochemistry/Planetary Sciences.
Vazaios (Sr. | Athens, Greece) completed his impressive swimming career at North Carolina State this past winter by becoming a four-time NCAA champion and 13-time All-American in the pool. His repeat national title in the 200-yard butterfly in 2019 marked just the second individual multi-title athlete in Wolfpack history. Also the recipient of the 2019 ACC Men’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, Vazaios collected six ACC championships during his time at NC State and was recognized as the conference’s Men’s Swimmer of the Year in 2019.
Academically, Vazaios was awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship in May following an outstanding undergraduate career in the classroom. He will continue his education at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom as he pursues a master’s degree in Sports and Exercise Psychology. A two-time qualifier for the Olympic Games in 2012 and 2016, Vazaios will also have the opportunity to swim professionally with the university team and represent his native Greece at all international competitions.
Chi Alpha Sigma’s National Scholar-Athlete of the Year award began during the 2018-19 academic year. Miller and Vazaios now become the third and fourth recipients of the award, joining last year’s inaugural winners Aliyah Gustafson (Bowling Green State University) and Cole Rosenberger (Johns Hopkins University). Nominations for the 2019-20 Chi Alpha Sigma Scholar-Athlete of the Year will become available to Chi Alpha Sigma chapters in May 2021.
All-Time National College Athlete Honor Society Scholar-Athletes of the Year
Year Student-Athlete Institution Sport(s)
2019-20 Audrey Miller Loras College Women’s Cross Country, Track and Field
2019-20 Andreas Vazaios North Carolina State University Men’s Swimming and Diving
2018-19 Aliyah Gustafson Bowling Green State University Women’s Track and Field
2018-19 Cole Rosenberger Johns Hopkins University Men’s Soccer
The National College Athlete Honor Society, Inc., known as Chi Alpha Sigma, is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that was founded in 1996. Chi Alpha Sigma works with state chapters to recognize college student-athletes who succeed in their sport and in the classroom.