Wingate’s Bartlett, Lenoir-Rhyne’s Griewisch Represent SAC on Division II 40th Anniversary Tribute Team

INDIANAPOLIS – In celebration of the 40th anniversary of NCAA Division II, 48 former student-athletes have been selected to the 40th Anniversary Tribute Team and are set to be honored by the NCAA throughout 2013. Among the honorees are former Wingate three-sport athlete Patrick Bartlett and former Lenoir-Rhyne cross country and track star Kate Griewisch.

The 40th Anniversary Tribute Team was developed through a partnership between the NCAA and the Division II Conference Commissioners Association. Each Division II conference is represented on the team by one male and one female selection.

"This group of former student-athletes is meant to reflect the core values of Division II athletics," said NCAA associate director of Division II Josh Looney. "Not only did these former student-athletes act as champions in athletics and in the classroom, they've gone on to live championship lives as well."

Bartlett played tennis, basketball and soccer during his Wingate career, which stretched from 1996 to 2000. He was a three-time Academic All-America selection in tennis, the SAC Men's Tennis Player of the Year in 1999 and a four-year selection to the All-SAC men's tennis team.

Bartlett was also a two-year letterwinner on the Wingate men's basketball team and spent one season with the WU men's soccer squad. He is a member of the SAC Hall of Fame class of 2012.

Today, Bartlett is the Manager and Director for Audit Services at McGladrey, a public accounting firm in Charlotte, N.C.

Griewisch, meanwhile, was a seven-time All-American spanning cross country, indoor track and outdoor track at Lenoir-Rhyne.

In cross country, Griewisch earned All-America honors three times, including a fourth-place finish at the 2011 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championship. She won the NCAA Southeast Region Championship three times and twice earned SAC Women's Cross Country Runner of the Year accolades.

In addition, Griewisch earned All-America honors for the indoor track 5,000 meter run in 2012, the outdoor track 5K in 2012 and the outdoor track 10K in 2011 and 2012.

Griewisch was also named the SAC Women's Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year three times, the SAC Presidents Award winner in 2010-11 and the SAC Female Athlete of the Year in 2011-12. She capped her decorated L-R career by being selected as one of nine finalists for the 2012 NCAA Woman of the Year Award, which spans all three divisions.

Since graduating in May, 2012, Griewisch has devoted her time to international missions work.

The year-long NCAA Division II 40th anniversary celebration will feature a number of initiatives branded by Division II's tradition, history and community influence. Each member of the 40th Anniversary Tribute Team will receive a commemorative 40th anniversary gift and is slated to have their accomplishments profiled through Division II's media channels.