INDIANAPOLIS—The NCAA announced the 25 finalists for the 2024 Division II Award of Excellence on Friday afternoon. Two member institutions from the Great Midwest were honored this year for embodying the Division II philosophy.
 
The Division II Award of Excellence recognizes initiatives taken by institutions in the past year that encourages community engagement through student-athlete leadership.
 
For the sixth consecutive year, Walsh University was selected as the 2024 finalist from the G-MAC. This past year, over 1,100 student-athletes, coaches, faculty, and community members participated in a Freedom Walk. Walsh partnered with a local organization Not For Sale: One Step at a Time to bring awareness to human trafficking as members walked in silence.
 
Ashland University joins Walsh as the second representative from the league, earning an at-large selection for their Mental Health Week. During February of 2023, Ashland’s SAAC dedicated each day of the week to a different activity to promote student-athlete wellness. Activities ranged from dodgeball to wellness workshops.
 
Walsh and Ashland join 23 other institutions as finalists for the prestigious award. The NCAA will announce the winner at the 2024 convention on Jan. 13.