The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) has announced Gina Miller as the 2023 Berry Jo Graber Female Student-Athlete of the Year.
Miller, a native of South Africa, recently completed her second year at Indian River State College in Fort Pierce, Florida. During her time at Indian River State, Miller dominated the mid-distance to distance freestyle events, and broke the NJCAA records in the 500 (4:52.29) and 1000 (9:56.27) in 2022.
This year, Miller won the 200 (1:51.16), 500 (4:57.76), 1000 (10:13.47) and 1650 (16:54.68) at the NJCAA Championships. In addition to her individual performances, she also was a member of Indian River State’s winning 400 freestyle relay (51.91 anchor) and 800 freestyle relay (1:51.54 split). Miller’s efforts earned her the Co-Swimmer of the Meet award for the second year in a row.
Over the course of her two seasons at Indian River State, Miller ended with a total of 13 NJCAA titles between relays and individual performances.
“To have one of our student-athletes honored as the recipient of such a prestigious award validates not only Gina’s efforts to excel at the highest levels academically and athletically but our mission as a department to instill core values of excellence both on the playing field—or in this case, the pool—and in the classroom. We are proud of her accomplishments and take pride in knowing we have been a part of her growth as a student-athlete.” Said Scott Kimmelman, Indian River State Athletic Director.
Miller has also been successful in the classroom, maintaining a 4.0 GPA throughout her career. She is committed to UNLV for this upcoming fall where she will continue athletic career and her degree in Psychology.
Jackson Filer was named the Male Student-Athlete of the Year. Filer, a football player for Iowa Western Community College, led Iowa Western to NJCAA Division I football title in an upset against Hutchinson. He ended his career at Western Iowa as the leader in sacks, tackles for loss, fumble recoveries, and forced fumbles.