University of St. Thomas student-athlete Tom Hultsch was recently named the 2019 SCAC Men’s Soccer Elite 19 award winner.

“I feel very honored and grateful to have been recognized as the Elite 19 award winner,” Hultsch said. “It is always my goal to be the best student and the best athlete I can be, and this award shows that I am on the right track.

“My experience at UST has been absolutely amazing so far. When I came in as a freshman I did not know anybody and was just trying to adapt to living in a different country and speaking another language. From my first day, all of my teammates have gone out of their way to help me wherever they can, and I immediately had 30 friends by being on the team. Being part of such a big family here at UST and representing the school by doing what I love is an absolute privilege and I am very grateful for the opportunities I have here as a student and as an athlete,” he said.

Hultsch, a junior defender from Luneburg, Germany, currently holds a cumulative GPA of 3.984 in Business and was recognized as First Team All-SCAC in an announcement made at the conference championship tournament.

“This is a tremendous honor for Tom,” Coach Ian Clerihew said. “He has a growth mindset and enjoys the academic challenges that UST presents. Tom is an excellent example of what a student-athlete is and I could not be more proud of him.”

During the season, Hultsch scored two goals and anchored a defensive unit that allowed one goal or fewer in 12 of the team's 16 matches this season. The Celts allowed just seven goals in eight conference matches played.

Background on Award

The award was established prior to the 2018-19 academic year and meant to recognize the best of the best within each conference sponsored-sport as it relates to both academic and athletic achievement. The SCAC Elite 19 is awarded to the student-athlete who has completed the equivalent of at least 60 credit hours at his or her current institution and has at least a cumulative 3.25 GPA. The student-athlete must also have earned All-SCAC First or Second Team honors in his/her sport for that particular season.