LEXINGTON, Va. – The NCAA announced the winner of the 2014 Division III Elite 89 Award for field hockey at the pre-tournament banquet on Friday night and Salisbury University junior Breck Sullivan became just the second Salisbury field hockey player to earn the honor.

The Elite 89, 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 89 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA's 89 championships.

Sullivan is a junior on the field hockey squad, with a 3.930 grade-point average as an environmental studies major, with a minor in math. Her GPA is the highest of any player on the four teams in the semifinals this weekend.

Sullivan has been key for the Sea Gull defense throughout the year, helping the team to the 11th-best goals-against average in the nation (0.89) while she has made a team-best three defensive saves, including one in last weekend's 1-0 win in the NCAA tournament quarterfinals against Wellesley College.

The Salisbury, Maryland native continues an impressive run for the Sea Gulls in the ranks of Elite 89 Award winners, as four Salisbury players picked up the honor during the 2013-14 academic year, including Haley Quillen, then a senior on the field hockey team. Salisbury has earned the award in men's lacrosse twice, while one baseball player and one women's lacrosse player have collected the award.

Sullivan and the Sea Gulls will play their national semifinal game against Bowdoin College on Saturday, Nov. 22. The game will be played at 11 a.m., at Washington and Lee University. The winner advances to the national championship game on Sunday, Nov. 23.