WEST FARGO, N.D.. – Minnesota State University Moorhead's Demi-Lee Carlisle was voted by the league coaches as the 2024-25 NSIC Outstanding Senior of the Year in women's swimming & diving. A native of Johannesburg, South Africa, Carlisle is double majoring  in economics and business analytics while maintaining a 3.96 cumulative grade point average. 

The "NSIC Outstanding Senior of the Year Award" is presented to a NSIC Swimming & Diving student-athlete who participates at their institution for four years and is academically superior while making a positive contribution to their team and the University. The award was initiated in 2020-21 to honor an outstanding senior that exemplifies the attributes of the model NSIC student-athlete.

It is the second year in a row where a Dragon has claimed the honor after Arina Bratamidjaja won the award last season. 

In the pool, Carlisle is a team captain and owns the second fastest 100 backstroke time in MSUM school history. She is part of the third fastest 200 & 400 free relay times in MSUM school history while her 50 freestyle is the sixth fastest and her 50 backstroke ranks eighth. At this year's championships Carlisle was part of the fifth place 200-yard freestyle relay; the sixth place 400-yard medley relay and 200-yard medley squad.  The 200-yard medley relay mark is the fifth-fastest time in program history.

Academically, Carlisle has earned scholarships for Academic Accomplishment from MSUM, is an NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award winner, Division 2 Athletics Directors Association All-Academic honoree, NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence member, a CSC Academic All-District Team member as well as the Outstanding Service Award.  She has research projects focused on Nutritional deficits: Understanding malnutrition in South Africa; and Estimating the Economic Impact of Load shedding on the South African Economy.  She is also an Economics, Math, and Computer Science Tutor at MSUM as well as an assistant teacher at Weltevreden Park Primary School. She has worked as a STEM and Business Learning Community Mentor; at the Office of Student Activities and First Year Programs as an office assistant; and is a first year experience advisor and mentor to first year students at MSUM.

Carlisle is currently finishing on a research paper that she will present in New York at the Issues in Political Economy in February. The paper is estimating the economic impact of loadshedding on the South African economy. She will also present these findings at the MSUM Student Academic Conference in April with the goal of having the paper published.

In the community Carlisle is involved with the J9 Foundation, is a swimming instructor, a South Africa Blood Service (SABS) donor, and Rotary International Secretary. 

Campus Involvement includes Economics Society Treasurer; Student Activity Fee Allocation Committee Member; Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society Member; African Student Union Member and Student Senate Member. 

"Demi Lee far exceeds expectations of a student athlete. She is in the top 1% of people I have ever worked with. Every campus leader knows Demi because of her willingness and ability to contribute at the highest level. At times, campus departments have had to fight over her available time. Investing in Demi Lee means you are investing in success. Her motivation and determination, as well as her strong work ethic, are her greatest assets. She is the type that will not only get all she can from the program, but one who will give back as well. She takes control of every situation she's involved in, creates a plan for success, and executes her plan to the highest level. Demi has left her mark on MSUM, and our campus will deeply miss her," said Head Coach Charlie King.

About the NSIC
The NSIC is a 15-team, 18-sport, NCAA Division II conference with institutions located in Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The NSIC is a model Division II conference that uses high-level athletics competition to develop champions in the classroom and community while empowering student-athletes to be impactful and positive leaders. Formed in 1992 by the merger of the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (men's league) and the Northern Sun Conference (women's league), the NSIC has flourished over the past quarter century, maturing into a union of Upper Midwest colleges and universities. The NSIC has won 27 team national championships and crowned 116 individual national champions. For additional information, visit NorthernSun.org.

About NCAA Division II
The NCAA, the national governing body for college athletics, is a volunteer association of more than 1,000 colleges and universities that classify their athletics programs in one of three membership divisions. The 300+ institutions in NCAA Division II support a balanced approach in which student-athletes can earn scholarships based on their athletic ability, pursue their desired academic degree, and participate in all the campus and surrounding community have to offer. Division II student-athletes annually graduate at rates higher than their student body peers, and they have access to the best championships-participant ratio among the NCAA's three divisions. Division II gives student-athletes the unique opportunity to compete in the classroom, on the field, in their career, for their causes, and on their terms. For additional information, visit NCAA.org.