Gilbert, Langheim nominated for 50th Anniversary Gold Award

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Mars Hill Faculty Athletics Representative Marty Gilbert and softball alumna Maggie Langheim were named nominations for the 50th Anniversary Gold Award.

Division II schools and conferences have submitted a total of 231 nominations for the 50th Anniversary Gold Award. 

This award, which is part of the division's yearlong 50th anniversary celebration that launched Aug. 7 and will extend through the 2024 Division II Baseball Championship in June, will recognize two individuals (one individual who identifies as male and one who identifies as female) who have made a positive impact in Division II. 

The nominees include current and former student-athletes, coaches, faculty members and administrators from active member schools and conferences who have helped shape Division II over time.

"The nominees reflect the considerable impact so many individuals have had on intercollegiate athletics over the years but also the pride the Division II membership demonstrates consistently in providing the experiences that enable young people to make a positive difference in the world," said Terri Steeb Gronau, vice president of Division II. 

Gilbert began serving as the Faculty Athletics Representative at MHU in 2004 and has enjoyed being an advocate for student-athletes. He has also enjoyed NCAA Division II committee service, serving stints on the Legislation Committee, Management Council, and Implementation Committee.

Langheim, who graduated from MHU in 2022, was a business administration major with a data analytics minor. Langheim completed her undergraduate course work with a 3.903 GPA graduating with honors. She was a member of the Mars Hill and NCAA Division II National Student-Athlete Advisory Committees, as well as a member of the Alpha Chi National Honor Society.

Conference offices will review the nominated individuals and select two conference winners (one individual who identifies as male and one who identifies as female) by Nov. 6. The NCAA Division II Management Council Identity Subcommittee will review the finalists and select the two overall winners, who will be recognized at the 2024 NCAA Convention in Phoenix.

"The quality of nominees will certainly make it challenging for the Division II Identity Subcommittee to recommend just two Gold Award recipients," Steeb Gronau said. "It truly is eye-opening to read through the candidates' accomplishments and realize how their contributions have made us better as a division."

As part of the anniversary celebration, Division II also will provide a commemorative scholarship opportunity for student-athletes from active member schools who exhibit the core values of Division II and have not yet exhausted their athletics eligibility. Two recipients from each conference and two representing the independent institutions will be announced in May during the 2024 NCAA Division II National Championships Festival in Orlando, Florida. Nomination procedures for the scholarship will be announced to the Division II membership in January.

To learn more about Division II's 50th anniversary celebration, visit ncaa.org/dii50. 

To read the full list of nominees, please click here.