Full Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (LourdesAthletics.com) -- The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has announced the 2025 Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athletes for spring sports, with 27 student-athletes from Lourdes University earning the prestigious honor. The award recognizes academic excellence across a wide range of sports, including baseball, softball, golf, tennis, and volleyball.
To be eligible, student-athletes 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 completed at least one full year at their institution.
Lourdes baseball led all Gray Wolf programs with 10 student-athletes earning the honor: Austin Nuhfer, Caleb Dugan, Joel Suraganan, Riley McKinnon, Jackson Kennedy, Landen Vance, Ayden Hall, Garrett Zimmermann, Morgan Kleps, and Zane Mullins.
Softball followed with seven scholar-athletes: Brooke Albert, Jessyca Smith, Lauren Schuller, Madison Darrah, Lindsey McGann, Robyn Ryan, and Taylor Leggins.
Women's golf had four honorees: Emma Mulder, Sydney Shank, Shauna White, and Lily Wilson.
Men's golf earned three recognitions: Alban Bruyas, Brock Fisher, and Grant Leis.
Women's tennis and men's tennis each saw one representative: Olivia Schoppa (women's tennis) and Joshua Parish (men's tennis).
Men's volleyball senior Ben Palma also earned the distinction.
Across the NAIA, baseball led all sports with 1,112 scholar-athletes, followed closely by women's track & field (1,074) and softball (1,024). At the conference level, the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC), of which Lourdes is a member, ranked second nationally with 628 total spring scholar-athletes.
Lourdes University proudly celebrates the accomplishments of these 27 individuals who embody the institution's commitment to excellence in both academics and athletics.