INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The NCAA announced the 2021 Division II Award of Excellence finalists on Tuesday and Notre Dame College's Make-A-Wish Walk has been recognized to represent the Mountain East Conference. (NCAA Release)

The one-mile walk on Nov. 8 was created and hosted by NDC's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) with proceeds going to the Make-A-Wish Foundation and to Sean Kukoleck, an NDC men's golfer who is battling cancer.

"I've never been more proud to be a Falcon than on that day," said SAAC president Delaney Gasaway. "Putting the walk together was so special to me in ways I could have never imagined. There is a fellow Falcon out there fighting for his life and it was my goal to do everything I could to help him. We are a small D2 school but that doesn't stop us from coming together as one big family and it was proven that day.

Getting there and seeing all these student-athletes show up and support Sean just made my heart melt. Now, finding out that we are being recognized, I almost can't keep my tears back. I can't thank Athletic Director Scott Swain enough for allowing this to happen, the advisor of SAAC Coach Stopp, the rest of the SAAC E-Board and most importantly the SAAC community for showing up and doing what was needed to be done."

The Award of Excellence exemplifies the Division II philosophy, identity, community engagement and student-athlete leadership initiatives among Division II institutions. This year, for the first time since 2015, one finalist was named from every conference at the D2 level.

"I am so happy that the NCAA and MEC have once again recognized the great work our Falcon student-athletes are doing outside of the classroom and the playing field," Director of Athletics Scott Swain said. "This NCAA Award of Excellence means a great deal because it celebrates so much of what the mission of Notre Dame College is as a whole. Our Falcon student-athletes are awesome on so many levels and I so very proud of them."

According to NCAA.org, a committee of athletics administrators determined this year's finalists, and the national Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee selects the winner, who will be announced at the Division II business session Jan. 15 at the virtual 2021 NCAA Convention. Notre Dame is now eligible for the award.

"I am so incredibly proud to be a part of the Falcon community today when finding out we are a finalist for the Division II Award of Excellence," said Kelsey Stopp, Head Softball Coach and Senior Woman Administrator who oversees SAAC. "When we put together the walk for Sean and Make-A-Wish we didn't realize what a success it would be but the SAAC board worked incredibly hard to make it happen and I am so happy to see they are being recognized at the D2 level. Being able to give back to a Falcon of our own and help him fight has been the absolute best part for us. It's a huge blessing for me to oversee SAAC and all the creative ideas these students come up with and I am looking forward to another awesome semester."

This is not the first time that NDC has been a finalist for this award. The athletic department finished runner-up in 2013 for the service project, 40 Days of Lent, 40 Days of Service.