Story by Keenan Hall
Staff writer
Murray State rifle junior Meike Drewell won the NCAA Elite 90 Award during the 2019 NCAA Rifle Championship.
The Elite 90, founded by the NCAA in the 2009-10 season, is awarded to the athletes who have the highest cumulative grade point average among the participants invited to compete for the championships.
It is an academic recognition program that aims to capture the character of student-athletes. It acknowledges the individual who has performed admirably against competition in their sport and academically in the classroom. To be eligible, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore and an active member of their team’s success in their respective sports.
Drewell currently has a 4.0 GPA with a major in business administration. She was given the award the night before the NCAA Championships started in Morgantown, West Virginia. Rifle Head Coach Alan Lollar said the award is a significant glance at what he attempts to teach his athletes.
“Excelling in the classroom as well as athletics is a part of what coach calls, ‘The Murray State Way,’ holding ourselves to a higher standard both on and off the range,” Drewell said.
Lollar is proud of Drewell’s work and the standard she has set for all future rifle members.
“Meike has worked hard to have success in both the classroom and on the range,” Lollar said. “She is a great example of the standard we aspire to have in this program.”
Drewell moved on to lead her team to a fourth-place finish in the NCAA Rifle Championships. She finished with a team-high in air rifle with 592 points and a team-high aggregate with 1170 points.
She became a Racer with the hopes of one day receiving recognition for her sport and academics.
“I am very grateful to have been named this year’s recipient for the Elite 90 Award,” Drewell said. “It has been a goal of mine since high school, and I am thankful that Murray State provided me the opportunity to achieve it.”
Drewell understands the hardships as well as the struggles that come with being a student-athlete. Prioritizing school and her sport above everything else paid off in the end.
“Balancing any sport with school is definitely a challenge, it takes a lot of dedication and time management,” Drewell said. “Being a student-athlete requires a lot of sacrifices; there’s a lot of extra-curricular stuff on campus that we’re not able to participate in because we simply don’t have the time.”
Drewell said without the cooperation and teamwork from her professors, her success off the range would not be possible.
“We also have to miss a lot of classes when we travel,” Drewell said. ”Thankfully, most professors are understanding and let us make up homework, quizzes and tests ahead of time.”
Drewell gave credit to the athletics department for helping her stay focused on her academics. She said they share a common viewpoint that student-athletes are more than just athletes.
“I am super thankful for all the academic support we athletes receive from our athletic department,” Drewell said. “Not only is everyone’s goal for us to succeed athletically, but they are also focused on helping set us up for success academically and after college. I am really excited about our future as a team, as well as a department.”
