The University of Montana’s Kara DeWalt has been selected 2011 Big Sky Conference Scholar-Athlete Award winner, announced the league recently. The student-athletes were selected by their respective institutions based upon athletic and academic performance during the 2010-11 school year. To qualify for the award, a student-athlete must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.2 (on a 4.0 scale), be a member of the graduating class and/or have completed their last year of intercollegiate athletic eligibility, have completed at least two years of intercollegiate competition at the institution, and be a letter-winner. DeWalt of Darby, is the most accomplished women’s steeplechaser in Montana history. She was the 2011 Big Sky steeplechase champion and advanced to the NCAA championships earlier this month, where she earned honorable mention All-America honors. DeWalt, who is competing this week at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Eugene, Oregon, is the Montana record holder in the event with her career-best time of 10:11.44 from a meet at Stanford May 1. She advanced to NCAA regionals three times in the event. DeWalt was a member of Montana’s cross country team that won the 2010 Big Sky Conference championship, the program’s first conference title since 1984. During her indoor track and field career, DeWalt was a three-time Big Sky champion in the distance medley relay. DeWalt has a 3.34 grade point average as a biology major and was a seven-time Academic All-Big Sky Conference selection. A senior starter at strong safety in all 11 games in 2010, Erik Stoll of Sandpoint was named first team All-Big Sky Conference and was the Grizzlies’ third-leading tackler with 82 stops. He was also awarded the Tony Barbour Award (“best exemplifies outstanding practice habits and makes an unselfish contribution to the betterment of the Grizzly Football Team”). During his three-year career at UM, Stoll played in 42 consecutive games and started in the last 26 in a row. A native of Sandpoint, Idaho, last season Stoll led the team with five interceptions, which ranked him 23rd (tie) in the FCS. Stoll was named first team on the 2010 ESPN The Magazine’s Division 1 Academic All-America Football Team by Co-SIDA, and was also a two-time All-District 7 academic squad pick, maintaining a 3.92 GPA in biology.