(Portions of this story taken from the Colorado College athletics website)
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. -- In exclusive voting by the senior woman administrators of the conference, Soren Frykholm of Colorado College has been selected the 2017 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Man of the Year.
The SCAC Man of the Year award recognizes senior student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service and leadership. The inaugural SCAC Man of the Year award was presented in 2013.
"With or without the recognitions I've garnered in the past year, my time at CC was unforgettable, and I wouldn't change a thing about my experience there," said Frykholm. "I'm so grateful to all the people I met during my three years, and to be leaving Colorado College with an appreciation for social justice and with the tools to make the world a better place. I'm also grateful to the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference for graciously awarding me this recognition, and for fostering an environment in which student athletes are encouraged to succeed not just on the field, but in the classroom and in their lives after their careers as college athletes are over."
On the pitch, Frykholm earned First Team All-America honors from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America after leading Colorado College to a 16-3-1 record during the 2016 season. He started all 17 games in which he played and was fourth on the team with 1,532 minutes. He was also a First Team All-SCAC selection.
As a defensive midfielder, Frykholm was a key member of the CC defense which tied for eighth nationally with a .600 shutout percentage after recording 12 clean sheets in 20 games. The Tigers also ranked 10th in Division III with a 0.58 goals-against average.
During his three seasons as a member of the men's soccer team, he helped lead the Tigers to a combined overall record of 45-10-6 (.787).
"Soren is a most deserving recipient of the SCAC Man of the Year award," said CC head men's soccer coach Scott Palguta. "He embodies all the qualities we would like to see in our student-athletes. A natural leader and classy competitor, Soren always played the game the right way. Gracious and humble in both victory and defeat, I was very proud to be his coach and greatly appreciate the strong impact Soren had on our team culture. In a soccer program rich in history, Soren will, without question, be remembered as one of our finest student-athletes."
Among the honors received by Frykholm this year, he was awarded the prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship as well as the Jim McKay Scholarship. The NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship is awarded to a select group of student-athletes who excel academically and athletically with only 29 scholarships across all NCAA divisions awarded for both men and women from each sports season (fall, winter and spring). The Jim McKay Scholarship recognizes student-athletes' outstanding academic achievement and their potential to make a major contribution to the sports communication industry. The scholarships were created in 2008 to honor the legacy of McKay, a pioneer in the field of sports journalism.
"I'm humbled by the recognitions I've received this year and need to say that they aren't just mine; I share them with the teammates, classmates, and mentors who pushed me to be a better student, athlete, and human being during my time at Colorado College," said Frykholm. "Especially in regards to my soccer accolades, it needs to be said that I wouldn't have received a single award on my own. On our 2016 team, more than on any other team I've ever played with, our strength and resilience came from the collective. Our attitude of 'team over individual' carried us through a season with many ups and downs not only to success, but to unbelievable closeness."
Just as he did in the classroom and on the pitch, Frykholm took a great deal of pride in leading by example in the campus community.
The two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District selection served as a New Student Orientation leader and a member of the Student Alumni Association. He also was president of Luso-Brazilian Club and a member of Phi Sigma Iota, the International Foreign Language Honor Society.
Frykholm was a two-time recipient of the college's Keller Family Venture Grant. In 2015, he used his first Venture Grant to create a documentary of the men's soccer team's experiences during an 18-day cultural and competitive trip to England, Sweden, Denmark, and Germany.
Frykholm, who graduated in December with a 3.85 GPA in Romance Languages, speaks Spanish, Latin and Portuguese, the language he utilized while studying abroad in Salvador, Brazil, during the second semester of the 2015-16 academic year.
While immersing himself in Brazilian culture and studying at Universidade Católica do Salvador, Frykholm volunteered twice each week in one of the city's notorious favelas, where he taught English to those who live on the less fortunate side of Brazil's poverty line.
After graduating, Frykholm utilized his language skills while working with the Teozacoalco Archeology Project in Oaxaca, México.
"I am so grateful for the time I spent at Colorado College," said Frykholm. "It has inspired me to be a more kind, grateful, and conscientious human being, and I am eager to use my experiences as a catalyst for continued growth."
"I've had so many people support me and advocate for me in my life. I hope to honor their love and generosity by living a life of paying it forward. It's no easy task, but I have many great role models to follow."
Frykholm, who is the school’s third SCAC MOTY recipient, was one of six outstanding nominees considered by the SCAC Man of the Year Committee. The other candidates were:
- Michael Schimpf, baseball, Centenary College
- Justin Broussard, football, Southwestern University
- Luke Packard, football, Trinity University
- Tom Kaiser, basketball, University of Dallas
- Connor Ver Schuur, baseball, Schreiner University
To read about past winners of the SCAC Man-of-the-Year award, click here.
Year-by-year SCAC Man of the Year Honorees:
2017 - Soren Frykholm, soccer, Colorado College
2016 - Madison Ross, football, Austin College
2015 – Aaron Skinner, tennis, Trinity University
2014 – Kaleb Roush, swimming, Colorado College
2013 – Nick Lammers, soccer, Colorado College
