SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) announced the 2022-23 academic year awards as Northwestern College women’s basketball student-athlete Molly Schany was voted the GPAC Emil S. Liston award female winner, the league office announced this morning.
“Molly defines what it means to pursue excellence in all areas of her life. Her drive and discipline to be the best on the court and in the classroom make her more than deserving for this prestigious honor,” said head women’s basketball coach Kristin Rotert. “Molly is a joy to work with every day and I am grateful she is a part of our program.”
Schany was excellent on the court and in the classroom last season, putting together a year in which she garnered Second Team All-GPAC honors and College Sports Communicators (CSC) Second Team Academic All-America recognition.
“She brings a loving level of intentionality to her relationships with her teammates and blesses all those she interacts with her fun personality, while raising the bar of her teammates.”
The junior scored her 1,000th point in December, while leading the league in offensive rebounds (79), ranked tied for third in the GPAC in rebounds per game (7.0), seventh in points per game (14.4) and field goal percentage (52.0%), and tied for tenth in total blocks (19). She started in all 30 games on a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) tournament-qualifying team and was named an NAIA Scholar-Athlete. She aims to end her collegiate career inside the top-10 in Red Raider history in multiple categories after the 2023-24 season.
The Emmetsburg, Iowa native is an exercise science major and is an active member of the Society of Pre-Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Students (SPPOTS) on campus.
Schany joins former teammate Devyn Kemble who won the league’s Liston Award following the 2021-22 season, making it two athletes to win the honor under Rotert.
The winner of the Liston Award and additional NAIA honors will be announced at the NAIA National Awards Day on September 15, 2023 and will be honored at the National Awards Luncheon at the NAIA National Convention on April 5-9, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri.
ABOUT THE EMIL S. LISTON AWARD
The Emil S. Liston Award recognizes both academic and athletic excellence by junior student-athletes in men’s and women’s basketball. The scholarship is named in honor of the NAIA’s first executive secretary who was also a prime mover behind the men’s basketball tournament. This award has been presented annually since 1950 to one junior men’s and one junior women’s basketball student-athlete.
***Photo Credit To NWC Athletic Communications***
