KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announced its academic awards for the 2025-26 wrestling season. Ninety-nine student-athletes from all six MIAA wrestling institutions were honored by the Association for their work in the classroom.

There were also 10 wrestlers named MIAA Scholar-Athletes and only one who earned the league's Academic Excellence award. 

These 2025-26 wrestling academic awards do not include first year student-athletes or first-year transfers. The MIAA will release separate academic awards for its 2024-25 newcomers in June, once the student-athletes have completed at least two terms of attendance at the certifying MIAA member institution. 

The prestigious MIAA Academic Excellence award was achieved by only one wrestler in the 2025-26 season – Nebraska Kearney's Crew Howard. An Academic Excellence award recipient must have a grade point average used by the institution for purposes of NCAA academic certification of at least 4.00 at the certifying member institution. The honoree also must have at least two terms of grades reported at the certifying member institution, excluding summer terms. 

The Scholar-Athlete award distinction went to 10 wrestlers who excelled on the mat and in the classroom. In the classroom, an MIAA Scholar-Athlete is an individual who has a grade point average used by the institution for purposes of NCAA academic certification of 3.50 or better at the certifying member institution with at least two terms of attendance at the certifying member institution, excluding summer terms. The student-athletes also had to receive All-MIAA honors in the season to fully achieve Scholar-Athlete status. (8 Lopers qualified) 

Ninety-nine wrestlers were named to the MIAA's Academic Honor Roll. To be recognized on the Academic Honor Roll, a student-athlete must have a grade point average used by the institution for purposes of NCAA academic certification of 3.00 or above at the certifying member institution. (23 Lopers qualified) 

Howard was the only wrestling student-athlete to earn all three academic awards. Howard was also honored as the MIAA "A Game" Scholar-Athlete of the 2025-26 season.  

To view a complete list of the 99 MIAA wrestlers who received academic awards in the 2025-26 wrestling season, click here.