Northern Michigan University’s Hannah Kastamo, top, blocks a kick by Michigan Tech's Anna Syracuse during their GLIAC game played at the NMU Soccer Field in Marquette on Oct. 12. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

MARQUETTE — Senior captain Hannah Kastamo of the women’s soccer team at Northern Michigan University has been named a Second Team selection in the All-Midwest Region by the Division II Conference Commissioners Association.

She was among nine players from NMU’s Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference who won this honor and 26 in all from around the Midwest Region.

The other women’s soccer players from the conference chosen were Madi Bajis of Saginaw Valley State, who was named the GLIAC Player of the Year, and seven players from powerhouse Grand Valley State, which swept all the other major awards in the league several weeks ago.

Kastamo, also a D2CCA All-Midwest Region pick for the First Team in 2024, was previously named an All-GLIAC First Team performer as a defender after the current season recently ended.

For the Wildcats, the downstate Hartland resident started all 20 games, leading Northern with six goals, four assists, 16 points and three game-winning goals. She was also among team leaders with 1,647 minutes played, 47 total shots and 16 shots on goal.

Sports information directors from NCAA Division II schools and conferences select their all-region teams, and those chosen for the First Team move onto All-American consideration.

This was the third season that Northern has had D2CCA Midwest All-Region honorees. In 2022, Brooke Pietila made the First Team and Isabelle Brusilow the Second Team, while in 2024, Kastamo and Pietila made the First Team, and teammates Justina L’Esperance, Molly Pistorius and Maria Storm were all named to the Second Team.

All-academic

On the same day last week, a half-dozen NMU women’s soccer players were chosen for Academic All-District awards by a different but similar-sounding group, the College Sports Communicators.

Northern’s athletes chosen were Kastamo, Kenna Alexander, Madison Bilbia, Ava Buhlman, Irene Kiilunen and Jillian Thompson.

They were recognized for combined performances on the field and in the classroom, with a minimum 3.50 grade-point average to be eligible.

Among the NMU group, Kastamo and Alexander have also advanced for consideration for the CSC Academic All-America awards to be announced in about two weeks.

All-time, this is the third year Northern has had CSC Academic All-District selections. Interestingly, there were six Wildcats earning the honors for each of those seasons.

In 2023, the selections were Brusilow, Pietila, Pistorius, Storm, Gwen Kiilunen and Brenna Musser; and in 2024, it was Kastamo, Alexander, Bilbia, Pietila, Storm and L’Esperance.

Story contents based on Northern Michigan University Sports Information press release reviewing the awards. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.