UMD Bulldogs "ALLETE" Moments: Classroom

Throughout this year, UMD Athletics is partnering with Minnesota Power, ALLETE to highlight the Bulldogs accomplishments in the 3 C's: Classroom, Competition, Community. 

University of Minnesota Duluth softball standout pitcher Lauren Dixon was named a 2023-24 NSIC Women's Honor Student-Athlete Award winner Thursday.

One of 15 student athletes to earn the honor and a chemical engineering major with a 3.98 GPA, Dixon spent last summer as an intern at NASA. A three-time All-NSIC Academic Team selection, as well as a Team of Excellence member, Dixon is also a Myles Brandt selection and earned UMD Athletics E.L. Duce Rasmussen Female Scholar-Athlete Award just one month ago.

Dixon, named a NSIC All-Conference First Team selection last month and the 2024 NSIC's Preseason Player of the Year, rewrote UMD's career pitching record book to her liking. The Sobieski, Wisc. native, capped the Bulldog career strikeout record at 821 with the addition of 236 – an NSIC-high – this season and owned a record of 23-6. Dixon, a two-time NSIC Pitcher of the Week and named to the NFCA D2 Pitcher of the Year Watchlist, also took over UMD career marks for wins (74), games completed (81), starts by a pitcher (105), and the innings pitched record at 659.1.

Arguably one of UMD's all-time best pitchers, Dixon threw her first career no-hitter on April 10 against the University of Minnesota Crookston, and owned the lowest ERA across her career in a single season of 1,60, as well as holding opposing batters to a .171 batting average – another career low. Dixon, who ranked sixth in the NCAA with seven shutouts and now has a UMD career record of 31, is now a two-time D2CCA selection after earning first team accolades a season ago.

About Minnesota Power, ALLETE:

Our bold vision centers on our commitment to climate, customers and communities. We're a clean-energy leader under our EnergyForward strategy, already delivering 50% renewable energy ahead of all other Minnesota utilities. Now we're doubling down on that with a vision to deliver 100% carbon-free energy to customers reliably and affordably by 2050. Learn more at: https://www.mnpower.com/CarbonFreeEnergyVision