Kaitlyn Arnold, a senior cross country runner at Alma, was named the recipient of the NCAA Elite 90 Award last week at the NCAA Division III Women's Cross Country Championship in Louisville, Ky.

Arnold, who is majoring in integrative physiology and health science and holds a 4.0 grade-point average, is the lone Alma student-athlete to receive athletic and academic honor since inception in 2009. Arnold's honor complements her Elite 90 Award from the spring of 2016, when she was an NCAA Championship participant for outdoor track and field.

The Elite 90, 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 90 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA's 90 championships.

Arnold, from Jackson, Mich., is one of two Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association student-athletes to receive the Elite 90 Award this fall. Calvin's Alyssa Scholten was named the Elite 90 Award winner at the 2016 NCAA Division III Volleyball Championship.

Arnold's honor is the second consecutive for an MIAA school at the Women's Cross Country Championship and third in four seasons. While Arnold is the fourth MIAA student-athlete to be a two-time Elite 90 Award honoree, she is the first in conference history to achieve the distinction in two different sports. All-time, 10 MIAA student-athletes have received the Elite 90 Award 14 times.

All-Time MIAA Elite 90 Award Winners 

NCAA Elite 90 page

All-time NCAA Elite 90 Award winners

Alma press release