Mankato, Minn. --- Minnesota State Athletics has announced its senior male student-athletes of the year for 2020-21, which is handed out to the most "well-rounded" male senior student-athlete, excelling on the field, in the classroom and throughout the community. In recognition of the unusual school year, the Mavericks will not name a departmental senior athlete of the year, but instead recognize each sport's senior student-athlete of the year nominee.
 
The honorees for top for Senior Male Student-Athletes of the Year are:

Teddy Petersen | Baseball
Made 196 appearances with 177 starts…Has a .330 career batting average with 205  hits, 35 doubles, seven triples, 15 home runs and 105 RBI…Was a NCBWA All-American Honorable Mention as a junior…Selected to All-NSIC First Team as a junior and Second Team as a sophomore…Had a .982 career fielding percentage, making the NSIC Gold Glove Team twice…Selected to CoSIDA First Team Academic All-District Team as a junior and 3x NSIC Spring All-Academic Team.

JD Ekowa | Football
Played in 43 games during his three seasons, including three starts… Named the Stein-Fallon College Scholar Athlete by the Minnesota Chapter of the National Football Foundation in 2021…Earned the 2021 NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award …Finished with 3,021 passing yards and 29 passing touchdowns while rushing for 1,163 yards and 14 rushing td's…Named to the NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence and the NSIC All-Academic Team three times.

Connor McCormick | Men's Track & Field
Earned all-conference honors seven times in his Maverick career, twice in the weight throw (indoor), three times in the hammer throw (outdoor) and twice in the shot put (outdoor)…Was a national qualifier in the hammer throw for the 2019 NCAA DII Outdoor T&F Championships where he finished 12^th... Was a national qualifier in the weight throw for the 2019 NCAA DII Indoor T&F Championships where he finished 16^th…Earned NSIC All-Academic honors as a junior.

Jared Spooner | Men's Hockey
Four-year letterwinner…Appeared in 134 games for the Purple and Gold with a stat line of 23-49--72 2020-21 alternate team captain…Three-time WCHA Scholar-Athlete award recipient and three-time Western Collegiate Hockey Association All-Academic Team…As a sophomore, he recorded 300 face-off wins (ranked second on team, ranked 59th in the nation).

Ben Hauge | Men's Golf
One-year men's golf letterwinner after transferring from Gustavus Adolphus College… Played 14 rounds for the Mavericks as a senior and averaged 77.7 for the year...Shot a career-low 71 at the 22nd Annual NSU Men's Golf Classic...Tied for 44th at the 22nd Annual NSU Men's Golf Classic.

Trevor Turrif | Wrestling
Three-year letterwinner and posted a 42-14 career record...Finished second at the 2021 NCAA Division II Championships to earn All-American honors for the second time in his career…Named a NSIC Winter All-Academic Team of excellence honoree as a senior and two-time NSIC Winter All-Academic Team member…Two-time NWCA Scholar All-American.

Austin Yardley | Men's Cross Country
Four-year men's cross country letterwinner…Three-time competitor at NCAA DII Central Region meet and earned All-Region honors in 2017 with a 22^nd place finish…Participated in three Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference championship meets for the Mavericks over course of college career…One-time NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence and three-time NSIC Fall All-Academic selection.