CLEVELAND – Typifying the best in athletic and academic success, Northwest Nazarene's Ben Johnson has been selected by the Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) as the organization's 2021 West Region Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

The catcher was voted upon by commissioners from a list of nominees from each of the West Region conferences. There were eight regional winners in the program.

With a 3.98 GPA as a biology and biochemistry major, Johnson was the recipient of the NCAA Elite 90 award for the Division II Baseball Championships, recognizing the player at the championships with the highest cumulative GPA. A First Team All-GNAC and Second Team NCBWA All-West Region selection as a utility player in 2021, Johnson batted .328 with 42 hits, five doubles, two home runs and 21 RBI as he helped lead the Nighthawks to the GNAC and NCAA West Region championships.

A three-time GNAC All-Academic selection, Johnson was also named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Third Team for baseball.

Dalton Bolton of West Liberty University's men's basketball program was named the D2CCA Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.