Preston Tetzlaff, a senior linebacker from Brookings, was named the recipient of the Elite 90 award for the 2021 NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision. He was presented with the award during prechampionship festivities at Toyota Stadium, the site of the FCS national title game.
The Elite 90, an award founded by the NCAA, recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. The Elite 90 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s championships.
Tetzlaff, a business economics major, recorded a 3.92 GPA and is the first South Dakota State student-athlete to receive the Elite 90 award. He will attend the University of Nebraska College of Law this fall.
“Following our team photo at the stadium, the NCAA surprised me with a very nice presentation of the award. I was excited to bring the Elite 90 award back for the university,†he said. “However, I knew it wasn’t the only hardware I wanted to bring back to South Dakota, so I had to put it in the back of my mind for the rest of the weekend.â€
Eligible student-athletes are sophomores or above who have participated in their sport for at least two years with their school. All ties are broken by the number of credits completed.
