ST. LOUIS – Northern Illinois University's Mason Kauffman was rewarded for his work on the mat and in the classroom as the NCAA qualifier at 174 was named the recipient of the Elite 90 award for the 2021 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship on Saturday.
 
"It's a statement on him personifying the kind of student-athlete we want and we preach about being here at NIU," NIU head coach Ryan Ludwig said. "These guys work their tails off to be great wrestlers, but in order to become a great wrestler, you need to be a great student, a great person first.
 
"We couldn't be prouder of him representing us and bringing home an Elite 90 award to NIU. It's just a tremendous honor for the University."
 
Kauffman, who carries a 4.0 grade point average while pursuing his bachelor's degree in kinesiology, was presented with the award prior to the start of the final round of the 2021 NCAA Wrestling Championship at Enterprise Center. He is the first Huskie in any sport to receive this prestigious award from the NCAA, which is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA Championships.
 
A native of Stratford, Wis., Kauffman earned an at-large bid to the NCAAs at 174 pounds after compiling a 13-6 record on the season. He scored an overtime victory over Cody Howard of Virginia Tech in the consolation round of the NCAA Championship and finished fourth at the MAC Championships.  Kauffman transferred to NIU from Eastern Michigan in 2019 and wrestled at 157 pound in his first two seasons with the Huskies.
 
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 Award is in its 12th year of its existence.
 
Eligible student-athletes are sophomores or above who have participated in their sport for at least two years at their current school. All ties are broken by the number of credits completed.
 
-NIU-