Recent Central College graduates Krissa Larson and Blaine Hawkins are among the finalists for the American Rivers Conference’s Johana Olson and Duane Schroeder Scholar-Athlete of the Year Awards.
Larson is among four finalists for the Johanna Olson Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award, along with Loras College track and field athlete Elayna Bahl, Wartburg College volleyball player Katie Foster and Nebraska Wesleyan track and field All-American Reagan Janzen.
Larson was an all-conference performer both in volleyball and track and field, earning eight varsity letters. She was a three-time all-conference honoree in track and field and was first team all-conference in volleyball in 2021 after three straight honorable mention seasons.
A history major, Larson graduated Magna Cum Laude with a 3.744 GPA. She earned USTFCCCA All-Academic team in 2021 and six total A-R-C all-academic honors between her two sports. She was named the 2022 History Graduate Student of the Year at Central. Larson was a District History Day Judge for junior high exhibits and was also active in the Central Teacher Academy.
Larson volunteered at Third Reformed Church and planted tulip bulbs with the volleyball team in Pella. Active with Central’s chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, she also tutored students on the East side of Des Moines.
She is now a middle school social studies teacher in Indianola.
Hawkins is one of three finalists for the Duane Schroeder Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award, joined by Wartburg College baseball player Max Goodhue and Loras College basketball player Rowan McGowen.
Central’s starting quarterback from 2017 to 2021, Hawkins set all-divisions NCAA records in 2021 for most touchdown passes in a season (63) and for points responsible for in a season (410). He also established new Division III records for touchdown passes in one half (7) and touchdowns responsible for in a career (178). The 2021 Gagliardi Trophy winner as the best player in NCAA Division III football, Hawkins was also named the D3football.com Offensive Player of the Year and was selected to the American Football Coaches Association Division III All-America first team, the Associated Press Division III All-America first team and the D3football.com All-America first team. He was a two-time D3football.com all-region pick, a two-time American Rivers Conference Offensive Player of the Year and a three-time Heerema-Schilder Blanket Award winner as Central’s team MVP.
For his career, Hawkins completed 888 of 1314 passes for 11,802 yards with 32 interceptions and 148 touchdowns. He also rushed 418 times for 1,715 yards with 30 touchdowns and racked up 13,502 yards total offense. Central was 38-6 in games when he was a starter. Central won a pair of American Rivers Conference titles during his run and advanced to the NCAA Division III quarterfinals in 2021.
A 2021 second-team College Sports Communicators Academic All-American®, Hawkins was named to the CSC academic all-district team twice. The two-year team co-captain was a representative on Central’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Student Senate. He also was a Central Service Day participant and served as an assistant coach for a third-grade basketball team. Hawkins spent part of spring semester 2020 studying in London and completed an internship for a British firm. The economics and business management double majored graduated Cum laude with a 3.612 GPA.
He now serves as an associate in public finance investment banking for Piper Sandler Companies in Denver, Colorado.
The award winners will be selected by a group of nine faculty athletics representatives with the winners announced January 10.
The league awards were established in 2000-01. Central student-athletes have received the men’s award four times and the women’s award three times. Central’s most recent winner was Division III men’s track and field national champion Will Daniels in 2018-19.