38 Spring Athletes Named NAIA Scholar-Athletes

KANSAS CITY, MO. –  The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has announced the 2026 NAIA Scholar-Athletes for spring sports, including 38 UHSP student-athletes. Each season, 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 spring sports who have excelled academically, including baseball, softball, golf, lacrosse, track & field, and men's volleyball. 

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. 

Conference-level totals show that the Heart of America Conference, UHSP's conference association for men's volleyball and women's lacrosse, lead the scholar-athlete totals in the NAIA with 711. Five UHSP student-athletes from men's volleyball and four from women's lacrosse contributed to that total.

14 Eutectic student athletes from the Eutectic softball team led the UHSP totals. The softball team was also named UHSP Scholar-Team at the Athletic Awards Banquet. UHSP also had seven scholar-athletes from baseball, six from women's track, two from men's golf, and one from men's track & field.  

UHSP 2026 NAIA Spring Scholar-Athletes: 

Baseball
Tristan Calmes 
Nolan Harding
Barrett Lohman 
Colin Malally
Jacob Meyer 
Brayden Steves 
Wyatt Waters 

Men's Golf 
Brett Bushue 
Cooper Thomas 

Men's Track & Field 
Brett Bushue 

Men's Volleyball
Jackson Brincks 
Dickson Colado
Alexander Quenzer 
Cameron Werner
Zacchery Zriebec

Softball
Karsyn Black
Lacie Christensen
Hannah Duggan
Karlea Frey
Talianna Joyner
Eva Kameoka
Alicia Kimble
Jacy Knox 
Aubrey Lasek
Payton McClellan
Trysten Murphy
Hunter Noto
Reese Smith
Kendal Strozier 

Women's Lacrosse 
Melanie Doub
Michelle Le
Marisa Podio
Gracie Spicer 

Women's Track & Field 
Abby Baxter
Arianna Buduan
Charlotte Dunajcik
Paulina Gutierrez-Trejo
Reece Halley
Daniela Nether