As the No. 2 Salisbury University field hockey team prepared for play in the national championship weekend at William Smith College on Friday night at the pre-tournament banquet, the Sea Gulls earned an early honor as junior Nicole Lindner was named the winner of the Elite 90 award for Division III field hockey.

The Elite 90, an award founded by the NCAA in 2009, 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.

Lindner is the eight CAC student-athlete, all from Salisbury, to earn the Elite 90 award. She is the third SU field hockey player to garner the honor, joining Breck Sullivan (2014) and Haley Quillen (2013). 

Lindner, a midfielder from Pitman, N.J. carries a cumulative grade-point average 4.0 as an exercise science major, with a minor in Spanish. Lindner has appeared in nine games for the Sea Gulls this year, starting two, and has scored twice.

Lindner is the eighth Sea Gull to earn the award since its inception. The eight awards are the most among Division III schools, breaking a tie with Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which currently has seven winners.

Lindner and the Sea Gulls will take on Tufts University in the semifinal round of the tournament on Saturday, November 19, at McCooey Field, beginning at 2 p.m.