SAINT PETER, Minn. — Jake Breitbach added yet another accolade to the most decorated season by an individual in Gustavus football history, as the wide receiver was named one of the department's Co-Male Athletes of the Year, sharing the award with tennis national champions Gage Gohl and Tyler Haddorff. Breitbach, a computer science and economics double major with a 3.78 GPA, was a CSC First Team Academic All-American, the Bobby Bell Division III Impact Player of the Year, and a top-five finalist for the Gagliardi Trophy (Division III Heisman Trophy), honoring the most outstanding football player in Division III. Breitbach was also selected as an All-American by the Associated Press (Second Team), D3football.com (Third Team), and the AFCA (Second Team), becoming just the second Gustie to receive All-America honors from three separate organizations in the same season.

The Golden Valley native was named the MIAC Offensive Player of the Year, along with his third All-Conference selection, and led the Gustavus offense this past season as the team's leading receiver with record numbers. He finished the regular season with 1,599 receiving yards, 110 receptions, and 13 receiving touchdowns. Breitbach posted four games with 200 yards or more and eight with more than 100 yards, and finished the season second in all NCAA Divisions (FBS, FCS, DII, DIII) for receiving yards per game (159.9), receptions per game (11.0), and total receiving yards (1,599). Breitbach's 11.0 receptions per game tied for 12th in the all-time NCAA Division III single season record book, his 110 receptions tied for 15th, and his 1,599 receiving yards are 22nd. In the ninth game of the season, Breitbach broke two program records, passing a 16-year old record for single season receptions with 104 and an eight-year old record for single season receiving yards (1,518). Breitbach also shares the program record for receiving touchdowns in a single game (4) which he collected in the first game of the season. He earned conference athlete of the week honors twice this season and national team of the week honors once. 

Breitbach extends his excellence beyond the football field, as he is an exemplary student-athlete in the classroom. Along with his Academic All-America honor this season, Breitbach has been named to the MIAC Academic All-Conference team the last three seasons. Breitbach is also connected to the community in a variety of ways. The senior serves as a team captain for the football program, embodying the team's core values of growth, effort, and trust. Breitbach serves as a mentor to one of the team's freshmen players, guiding the individual through their first year of collegiate athletics on and off the field. He also mentors local elementary students in Saint Peter as a part of the "Read and Recess" program at South Elementary, reading to elementary students and spending time with them throughout and after the football season. The senior also serves as a peer tutor in the economics department, helping educate fellow students in the subject area.

Breitbach is the fourth football student-athlete to be named Male Athlete of the Year, and the first since Matt Boyce in 2015-16. This year's Athlete of the Year ballot included five women and five men. The men were Breitbach, Gohl and Haddorff, Marco Siviero (tennis), Matt Strom (swimming & diving), and Spencer Swanson (basketball). The three winners finished in a perfect tie after counting every head coaches' vote, while Strom took third on the ballot. Track & Field's Megan Geraets was the sole Female Athlete of the Year, followed by Katie McCoy (hockey) and Kasie Tweet (volleyball) in the voting. Volleyball was named the Women's Team of the Year, while swimmers Stella Anderson Moye and Logan Cyr collected Newcomer of the Year honors.  

Gustavus Athletes of the Year
2000-01: Andrea Kleven (first year, swimming, track & field), Eric Butorac (sophomore, tennis)
2001-02: Sarah Moe (senior, hockey), Ryan Hoag (junior, football, track & field)
2002-03: Molly Biehn (junior, softball), Luke Speltz (senior, track & field)
2003-04: Angie Peterson (senior, basketball), Luke Benoit (senior, golf)
2004-05: Tara Houlihan (junior, volleyball, tennis), Joe Hartwell (senior, soccer)
2005-06: Hailey Harren (junior, cross country), Bobby Kroog (senior, soccer)
2006-07: Andrea Peterson (senior, hockey), Tony Konicek (senior, baseball)
2007-08: Lisa Brown (junior, track & field), Andy Bryan (senior, tennis)
2008-09: Rachael Click (senior, softball), Matt Stewart (senior, swimming)
2009-10: Melissa Mackley (senior, hockey), David Martinson (senior, hockey)
2010-11: Janey Helland (senior, track & field), Whitaker Davis (senior, swimming)
2011-12: Alissa Tinklenberg (sophomore, swimming), Ross Ring-Jarvi (senior, hockey)
2012-13: Lindsey Hjelm (senior, hockey), Alex Kolquist (senior, golf)
2013-14: Alissa Tinklenberg (senior, swimming), Jeffrey Dubose (senior, football)
2014-15: Jenny Strom (senior, swimming), David Lilly (senior, soccer)
2015-16: Alex Kopp (senior, gymnastics), Matt Boyce (senior, football)
2016-17: Nora Holtan (sophomore, volleyball), Tanner Sonnek (sophomore, swimming)
2017-18: Nora Holtan (junior, volleyball), Mohanad Alhouni (senior, tennis)
2018-19: Nora Holtan (senior, volleyball), Michael Hensch (senior, track & field)
2019-20: no awards presented due to pandemic-shortened and canceled seasons
2020-21: no awards presented due to pandemic-shortened and canceled seasons
2021-22: Birgen Nelson (junior, track & field), Jack Hanson (senior, baseball)
2022-23: Birgen Nelson (senior, track & field), Nick Aney (senior, tennis)
2023-24: Megan Geraets (junior, track & field), Jake Breitbach (senior, football), Gage Gohl/Tyler Haddorff (sophomores, tennis)