U-M Boasts 100-Plus Big Ten Distinguished Scholars for Fifth Time in Six Years

(Michigan Photography)

U-M Boasts 100-Plus Big Ten Distinguished Scholars for Fifth Time in Six Years

7/13/2026 3:00:00 PM | Baseball, Field Hockey, Football, General, Men's Golf, Men's Gymnastics, Ice Hockey, Men's Lacrosse, Men's Soccer, Men's Swimming & Diving, Men's Tennis, Men's Track & Field, Softball, Women's Basketball, Women's Golf, Women's Gymnastics, Women's Lacrosse, Rowing, Women's Soccer, Women's Swimming & Diving, Women's Tennis, Women's Track & Field, Volleyball, Water Polo, Wrestling

By: Leah Howard

• Photo Roster of 2025-26 Big Ten Distinguished Scholars

ROSEMONT, Ill. -- The Big Ten Conference announced its Big Ten Distinguished Scholars on Monday (July 13), with 119 University of Michigan student-athletes earning the distinction for their work in the classroom over the 2025-26 academic year.

The Big Ten Distinguished Scholar honor goes to student-athletes who recorded a grade-point average of 3.7 or higher for the previous academic year. Michigan has boasted at least 75 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar honorees for 10 straight academic school years and more than 100 in five of the last six.

Twenty-five student-athletes recorded a perfect 4.0 GPA for the 2025-26 academic year, including seven from the women's track and field team, which also led all U-M programs with 14 total honorees.

The conference office also awards Academic All-Big Ten distinction in the fall, winter and spring seasons for student-athletes with a 3.0 cumulative GPA or greater. U-M had 149 honorees in the fall, 96 in the winter and 232 in the spring to give the Wolverines 477 honorees during the 2025-26 academic year.

Michigan's 2025-26 Big Ten Distinguished Scholars

Names in italics denote a 4.0 GPA
* Earned the honor for both cross country and track

Baseball (3)
Kurt Barr, Sr., Sport Management
Justin Brown, So., Business Administration
Wyatt Novara, Jr., Sport Management

Women's Basketball (1)
Olivia Olson, So., Sport Management

Field Hockey (4)
Zoë Bormet, Sr., Psychology
Natalie Millman, Jr., Business Administration
Hala Silverstein, Jr., Business Administration
Abby Tamer, Gr., Master of Sport Management

Football (4)
C.J. Charleston, Gr., Social Work
Peyton O'Leary, Gr., Real Estate Development
Max Reyes, Sr., Business Administration
Kaleb Schlecht, Jr., Sport Management

Men's Golf (2)
Jason Gordon, Jr., Sport Management
Johnny Solis, So., Sport Management

Women's Golf (2)
Thomasine Bartholdson, So., Business Administration
Mara Janess, Sr., Sport Management

Men's Gymnastics (6)
Landen Blixt, Sr., General Studies
Kevin Chow, Jr., Business Administration
Zach Granados, Sr., Information Analysis
Aaronson Mansberger, So., Biomedical Engineering
Akshay Puri, Jr., Biomedical Engineering
Kyle Walchuk, Jr., Materials Science & Engineering

Women's Gymnastics (5)
Sophia Diaz, So., Biology, Health & Society
Lily Clapper, Sr., Business Administration
Farah Lipetz, Sr., Political Science
Paige Thaxton, Sr., Sport Management
Reyna Guggino, Gr., Master of Movement Science

Ice Hockey (4)
Kienan Draper, Sr., Sport Management
Josh Eernisse, Sr., Sport Management
Luca Fantilli, Sr., Sport Management
T.J. Hughes, Sr., Sport Management

Men's Lacrosse (7)
Rowan Clay, Jr., Sport Management
Doster Crowell, So., Bachelor of Business Administration
Eliot Dubick, Gr., Sport Management
Chris Gaine, Sr., Economics
Ryan Lyngklip, Sr., Bachelor of Business Administration
CJ Reilly, Jr., Political Science
Nick Roode, Jr., Sport Management

Women's Lacrosse (12)
Emma Bradbury, Jr., Cognitive Science
Emma Burke, So., Business Administration
Isabel DiNanno, Jr., Communication and Media
Molly Fagan, So., Biopsychology, Cognitive & Neuroscience
Jordyn Harrison, Sr., Sport Management
Allie Hartman, Jr., Aerospace Engineering
Kassidy Isaacson, Sr., Sport Management
Katharine Merrifield, Gr., Real Estate Development
Megan Minturn, Sr., Psychology
Claire Nelson, Sr., Sport Management
Emerson Pattillo, Jr., Sport Management
Kate Van Oast, So., Sport Management

Rowing (12)
Ally Blomquist, Sr., Sports Management
Jenna Chaffin, Sr., Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity
Talia Daft, So., Political Science
Grace Hammis, Sr., English
Megan Higley, Jr., Movement Science
Sara Houben, Sr., International Studies; Environment
Isabela Pimentel, Sr., Business Administration; International Studies
Madeleine Lauriault, Sr., Political Science; Economics
Kiley Locke, So., Biology, Health, & Society
Halle Loveday, Sr., Computer Science
Olive Pascoe, So., International Studies
Logan Roeder, Gr., Social Work

Men's Soccer (2)
Nicholas Cassiday, Sr., Business Administration
Nolan Miller, Sr., Business Administration

Women's Soccer (9)
Lilley Bosley, Jr., Sport Management
Taylor Brennan, Sr., Pharmaceutical Sciences
Beanie Harshe, So., Economics
Sophie Homan, Sr., Environment
Erin Junkmann, Gr., Master of Sport Management
Gabrielle Prych, Jr., Movement Science
Sam Suplee, Sr., Business Administration
Adi Walick, So., Sport Management
Abby Zugay, Sr., Economics

Softball (2)
Avery Fantucci, Sr., Business Administration
Madi Ramey, Sr., General Studies

Men's Swimming and Diving (3)
Ole Eidam, So., Computer Science
Tyler Tannenberger, So., Business Administration
Matthew Walsh Hussey, So., Data Science; Economics

Women's Swimming and Diving (7)
Rebecca Diaconescu, So., Movement Science
Lexi Greenhawt, Jr., Communications and Media; Psychology
Brady Kendall, Gr., Pharmacy
Ella Jo Piersma, Sr., Business Administration
Marian Ploger, So., Movement Science
Letitia Sim, Sr., Applied Exercise Science
Madison Smith, Jr., Movement Science

Men's Tennis (3)
Mert Oral, Sr., Biomedical Engineering
Nicholas Steiglehner, Sr., Business Administration
Bjorn Swenson, Sr., Sport Management

Women's Tennis (1)
Bayley Sheinin, Sr., Sport Management

Men's Track and Field (8)
Peter Baracco*, Sr., Economics
Will Barhite, Sr., Applied Exercise Science
Miles Brown*, Gr., Chemical Biology
Ian Hill*, Sr., Biology, Health & Society
Liam Kinney, Jr., Information Analysis
Heath McAllister*, Jr., Mechanical Engineering
Kyler McNatt*, Sr., Aerospace Engineering
Cole Sheldon, Sr., Environment

Women's Track and Field (14)
Maya Anderson, Jr., Sport Management
Emily Cescon*, So., Civil Engineering
Haley Deighan*, Sr., Psychology
Coraline Haggarty*, So., Political Science
Amare Harlan, Jr., Secondary Education
Samantha Hastie*, Gr., Applied Data Science
Leah Hill*, Sr., Organizational Studies
Brooke Johnston*, Jr., Psychology
Lisa Luecke*, Sr., International Studies; Spanish
Clare McNamara, Gr., Social Work
Gabbie Michael*, Gr., Chemical Biology
Kourtney Rathke, So., Industrial & Operations Engineering
Rylee Tolson*, Sr., Anthropology
Emma Yungeberg, Sr., Communication and Media