Wisconsin women’s hockey sophomore Jenny Ryan received the NCAA Elite 89 Award at a banquet held at the 2015 NCAA Frozen Four on Thursday night at TCF Bank Stadium.
Ryan, a Victor, New York, native, holds a 3.9 cumulative grade point average while majoring in kinesiology. She was named a WCHA Scholar Athlete and earned a spot on the WCHA All-Academic team earlier this month.
On the season, Ryan has three goals and 19 assists for the Cardinal and White, including a power-play strike in the Badgers’ 5-1 win over No. 5 Boston University last Saturday to propel UW to its eighth Frozen Four appearance.
Her 0.56 points per game average ranks 25th in the country among defensemen, and her +30 plus/minus rating is the best mark among UW blue-liners.
The Elite 89, 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 89 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s 89 championships.
Ryan is the third Badger to receive the honor, joining former Badger Elite 89 award winners Becca Ruegsegger (2011) and Carolyne Prévost (2012).
Ryan and the No. 3 Badgers face top-seeded Minnesota in the semifinals of the 2015 NCAA Frozen Four on Friday. Faceoff at Ridder Arena is set for 5 p.m. and the game can be seen online on NCAA.com.
