By Cody Bush, Associate Commissioner / Strategic Communications
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Colorado Mesa University senior Ada Qunell is the 2025-26 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Academic Player of the Year, leading a 19-member First Team Academic All-RMAC Team as selected by the league's athletic communication directors.
Each institution's athletic communications directors nominate student-athletes who academically maintain at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average, along with the other criteria for the Academic Honor Roll, for recognition on the First Team Academic All-RMAC in each sport. The league's athletic communications directors for that sport vote to compose the First Team Academic All-RMAC and select the Academic Player of the Year. They are not permitted to vote for their own student-athletes.
Waddington (Norfolk) is one of the most accomplished Aqualopers in school history, leaving with five individual and four relay records. She almost qualified for the NCAA Championships this year in the 50-freestyle, an event she finished fifth at the RMAC Championships. She maintains well over 3.9 GPA as a Studio Art major.
In addition, 12 other UNK swimmers/divers qualified for the Academic Honor Roll (minimum 3.30 GPA, been enrolled at UNK for two semesters & competed during the year). Waddington and this group were all honored at the RMAC Championships in February.
Qunell is one of nine returning First Team Academic All-RMAC selections and one of five who are a three-time first team honoree. She entered the swimming & diving season with a 3.88 grade-point average as an exercise science major at Colorado Mesa.
She collected five gold medals during the 2026 RMAC Swimming & Diving Championships, winning the 100- and 200-yard freestyle events and earning medals as part of the Mavericks' 400- and 800-yard freestyle and 400-yard medley relay teams. She went on to garner First Team All-American status four times at the 2026 NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships, highlighted by a silver medal as a member of the 800-yard freestyle relay team.
In addition, the RMAC recognized 71 student-athletes, including the First-Team Academic All-RMAC honorees, on its 2025-26 Women's Swimming & Diving Academic Honor Roll.
The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Academic Honor Roll recognizes student-athletes in each conference-sponsored sport who academically maintain at least a 3.30 cumulative grade-point average, have completed two consecutive semesters at their current institution, and have used a season of competition.
