ST LOUIS – For the first time in program history two Redbirds earned MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team honors, as graduate student Elyce Knudsen and sophomore Nevaeh Thomas were announced as selections by the MVC office Monday. Voting was conducted by the league's sports information directors. 

Knudsen and Thomas become the ninth and tenth players in program history to earn MVC Scholar Athlete First Team honors. The duo joins former 2x MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year Mary Crompton (2021-22 and 2022-23) and Lexi Wallen (2019-20) on the list of Redbirds to earn MVC Scholar Athlete First Team honors under head coach Kristen Gillespie.  

Knudsen, who carries a 4.0 grade-point average while pursuing a master's degree in business administration, is averaging 14.0 points per game on 46.6% shooting from the field and 44.0% shooting from deep this season. She has reached double figures in 21 games on the season, which includes seven performances of 20+ points. Knudsen is an MVC-best five-time MVC Newcomer of the Week for the Redbirds this season.  

Graduating as a finance major with a 3.90 GPA, Knudsen was a three-time College Sports Communicators Division III Academic All-America First Team selection in her career at Millikin prior to Illinois State.  

Thomas has posted a perfect 4.0 GPA while pursuing a bachelor's degree in exercise science. She is averaging 12.5 points per game and a team-high 7.4 rebounds per game while ranking fifth in the MVC with a mark of 53.5% shooting from the floor. She has tallied 10 double doubles on the season, becoming one of just six players in program history to put up 10+ double-doubles in single season. It is the most double doubles by a Redbird in a single season since 2005-06, when Holly Hallstrom tallied 12 double doubles.  

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