Portland Student Ava Guilford Receives MIAA Academic Elite Award Honor

Portland student Ava Guilford was one of 24 Albion student-athletes to earn a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Academic Elite Award for the 2025-26 academic year. Guilford was a member of Albion's women's basketball team.

Established by the MIAA Faculty Athletic Representatives, the Academic Elite Award is presented annually to the student-athlete with the highest grade point average among all MIAA competitors in their sport. Honorees must have at least two years of varsity participation and hold junior or senior academic standing.

Guilford graduated magna cum laude with a degree in marketing - integrated marketing communication emphasis. Guilford is the child of Patrick and Amy Guilford of Portland and is a graduate of Portland High School.

About Albion College

Albion College is a top-ranked, top-value liberal arts college and one of Michigan's three original chartered institutions of higher learning. Named a 2025 Carnegie Opportunity College and University-one of just 10 nationwide-Albion guarantees real-world learning for every student and the skills sought after by employers, from internships, consulting, community service, and mentored research to clinical placements and global study, across more than 80 areas of study. With an 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio and dedicated advising before classes begin, Albion delivers results: 98% of graduates are employed, in graduate school, or in service programs within six months, and pre-med students enjoy a 96% medical school acceptance rate-among the highest in the state. The walkable campus sits on the Kalamazoo River, with 24 highly-competitive Division III sports, 100+ student-led clubs and organizations, active Greek Life, and its own Amtrak stop.

About the MIAA

The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) is America’s first collegiate athletic conference.

The 2025-26 academic year marks the 138th consecutive year of operation for the NCAA Division III-affiliated conference. The MIAA was founded March 24, 1888. From the very beginning, the MIAA has conducted full-season championships in multiple sports. There have been changes in some of the sports (bicycle racing and Indian club swing have long since disappeared, and basketball did not even exist in 1888), but these changes have served to develop the MIAA into one of America’s finest NCAA Division III conferences, today offering 23 sports for men and women.

Current MIAA member schools include Adrian College, Albion College, Alma College, Calvin University, Hope College, Kalamazoo College, The University of Olivet, Saint Mary’s College, and Trine University.