Full Release

SAINT PETER, Minn. – For the second season in a row, Gage Gohl (Sioux Falls, S.D./Lincoln) has been selected as the Gustavus Male Athlete of the Year. Gohl earned the honor as a sophomore last season alongside doubles partner Tyler Haddorff (Burnsville, Minn.) following their doubles national championship. He is the first male to repeat in the award, which is the sixth for the men's tennis team overall. 

The award is annually voted on by head coaches following the conclusion of the athletic season, and given based on the individual athletic achievements of the year. 

Gohl amassed numerous accolades in his junior season, beginning with Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-America honors in the fall as the winner of the Midwest Regional Singles Championship, which he has now claimed in each of the last two years. The All-America honor was his fourth overall, after sweeping the 2023 ITA Midwest competition and winning the 2024 NCAA Doubles National Championship alongside partner Haddorff.

He was additionally selected as one half of the MIAC Doubles Team of the Year for the second consecutive season after going 18-9 with Haddorff and undefeated in conference play. Gohl and Haddorff played all 21 of their dual matches at No. 1 with a record of 14-7. Gohl earned All-MIAC Doubles honors and Honorable Mention in singles play and was three times named the Athlete of the Week this season. He was 19-9 in singles play (11-7 dual), ending the season on a four-match win streak in dual play.

Off the court, Gohl was recently named a CSC First-Team Academic All-American on June 4. A communication studies and sport management double major with a 3.97 GPA, the honor was the first of his career as a member of the six-player first-team. Gohl was also named the winner of the MIAC's Elite 22 Award on May 20, given to the individual with the highest cumulative GPA among student-athletes who competed in the five-team MIAC Playoffs. 

This year's Athlete of the Year ballot included five men, each representing a different team. The men were (listed alphabetically) baseball's starting southpaw Adam Biewen (Golden Valley, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong), football fifth-year linebacker Carson DeKam (Owatonna, Minn.), Gohl, soccer two-way defender Jared Hecht (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview), and fifth-year swimmer Peyton Richardson (Crystal Lake, Ill./Prairie Ridge). Hecht and Richardson finished tied for second in the voting behind Gohl.

Women's tennis first-year Karina Elvestrom (Minnetonka, Minn.) was named both the Female Athlete and Female Newcomer of the Year, while golfer Jimmy Abdo (Edina, Minn.) received the Male Newcomer of the Year Award. Women's basketball and men's hockey were voted as the team's of the year by the 2024-25 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) representatives.

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)
2024-25: Karina Elvestrom (first-year, tennis), Gage Gohl (junior, tennis)