KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) proudly announces the 2026 NAIA Scholar-Athletes for winter sports. Each semester, the NAIA Scholar‑Athlete list celebrates student‑athletes who excel in both academic and athletic arenas. This honor recognizes student-athletes in each of the winter sports who have excelled academically, including basketball, bowling, competitive cheer, competitive dance, swimming & diving and wrestling.

2026 NAIA Winter Sport Daktronics Scholar-Athletes

To qualify as an NAIA Scholar-Athlete, students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, appear on the eligibility certificate for their sport, and have attended their institution for at least one full year. This year, the list features an impressive number of student-athletes who have met these rigorous standards.

Women's basketball headlines the scholar‑athlete list with 926 honorees. Men's basketball follows with 659. Men's wrestling, competitive cheer and women's swimming and diving round out the top five each with over 200 athletes represented (265, 214 and 204, respectively).

The following SF student-athletes earned the award:

Women's Basketball

• Abby Stoddard
• Cali Gregory
• Emma Reust
• Haley Gibson
• Julia Mantyla
• Makenzie Fuess
• Rachel Harshman
• Taylor Fordyce

Men's Basketball 

• Braeden Messenger
• Collin Siratei
• Joe Reidy
• Keshawn McNeill
• Sam Johnson

Competitive Cheerleading

• Alli Sullivan
• Karagen Stuart
• Natalie Adams

Founded in 1890 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, the University of Saint Francis offers more than 60 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs. The academic structure at Saint Francis offers seven pathways: Humanities, Faith and Liberal Arts; Allied Health; Creative Arts and Digital Media; Education, Human Services and Community Care; Leadership and Business; Nursing; and  Sciences and Medical Studies. In addition to its traditional programs, Saint Francis delivers workforce development healthcare programs in Fort Wayne, Crown Point, Gas City, Indianapolis, Lafayette and online. Saint Francis Downtown houses the music technology program while offering enhanced internship and networking opportunities for students. A National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Five-Star Champion of Character institution, Saint Francis has 21 athletic programs boasting three individual and four team NAIA national championships. More than 1,900 students from a broad geographic region attend Saint Francis.