The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference announced on Thursday that University of Minnesota Duluth current track and field athlete Elizabeth VanLoon has been named the 2026 Willis R. Kelly Scholar-Athlete Award for Academic Excellence. The award, in its 41st year, is presented to the NSIC's top female student athlete.

VanLoon, a native of New Brighton, Minnesota, is a senior majoring in cell and molecular biology with a minors in chemistry and coaching at the UMD. The Irondale High School graduate holds a 4.00 grade point average while excelling in cross country and track & field for the Bulldogs. VanLoon is the seventh student-athlete from UMD to earn the NSIC Kelly Award. VanLoon has been recognized with numerous NSIC academic honors throughout her career, including being a 2026 NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award recipient, a multiple-time member of the NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence, and a two-time NSIC Elite 18 Award winner in cross country, in addition to earning the Elite 18 Award in indoor track & field. She was also named to the CSC Academic All-District Team and is a member of UMD's Honors Program. She has been accepted into the University of Iowa's Health, Sport, and Human Physiology graduate program, where she will pursue her master's and Ph.D. beginning next fall.

VanLoon has been actively involved in undergraduate research, including projects examining mental fatigue on athletic performance and a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-sponsored summer internship at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, where she studied mobility in older adults. Her current research focuses on the relationship between oral contraceptive use and female exercise physiology and athletic performance. She recently won a regional research competition for this work and will compete at the national level. VanLoon has been a four-year competitor in cross country, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field for the Bulldogs. She earned NSIC Women's Cross Country Outstanding Senior of the Year honors and has claimed multiple top10 performances, including top-eight finishes in the indoor 3K and 5K. She ranks among the top performers in program history, including the sixth-fastest indoor 5K time and a top10 steeplechase performance. In the community, VanLoon has served as a certified nursing assistant at an elderly care home in Duluth, worked as a summer program coordinator at the Boys and Girls Club of Duluth, and contributed to the UMD Athletics Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council. She has also been involved in undergraduate research initiatives, student filmmaking projects, and campus organizations, while remaining active in service and leadership roles.

"Elizabeth is one of the most well-rounded student-athletes I have ever had the pleasure of coaching. She excels in the classroom, community, and competition. Her commitment to each of these domains has allowed her to inspire others on our team and in our community. She is dedicated to her craft and making a difference in the lives of those around her. Elizabeth is an exceptional student-athlete with the will to succeed which has culminated in her illustrious career as a Bulldog,"  UMD Head Cross Country Coach Brette Jensen

"It was such a pleasure to have Elizabeth in my class. I could always count on her to ask just the right questions, helping everyone better understand key concepts. Her curiosity and willingness to challenge ideas made her an outstanding student and contributed to a deeper learning environment,"
Dr. Clara Shaw, Assistant Professor, Department of Biology

"I have been teaching and mentoring undergraduate students for over 15 years, and I knew early on that Elizabeth was a special student with a genuine passion for learning. She takes initiative in research, has a remarkable eye for detail, and demonstrates true intellectual curiosity," 
Dr. Mary Stenson, Interim Department Head, Associate Professor, & Exercise & Rehabilitation Sciences Program Coordinator

For his efforts in the classroom, Gabe Richardson was named a 2025-26 NSIC Men's Honor Student-Athlete Award winner. The baseball graduate from Eau Claire, Wis. was the men's nomination for the Dr. William Britton Scholar-Athlete Award for Academic Excellence.

While VanLoon is the seventh all-time Kelly winner on the women's side, she is the first since former Bulldog soccer player Rebecca Anderson won the honor in 2011. This marks the third-straight year UMD has had a winner on either the men's or women's side.