Kearney, Neb. – Former Nebraska Kearney standout wrestler Crew Howard has been named the 2026 Academic All-American Team Member of the Year for the NCAA Division II Men's At-Large category.

The College Sports Communicators (CSC) nominate and vote on the makeup of the Academic All-District and Academic All-American teams. Student-athletes must first qualify for All-District honors before they can move onto the national ballot. The "at-large" category encompasses a variety of sports including men's wrestling, ice hockey and lacrosse.

To qualify for CSC honors, a student-athlete must have a 3.50 cumulative GPA (both undergrad and graduate) and meet their sports minimum competition requirements. Howard (Clarinda, Ia.) was a 4.00 student throughout his five-year career and was an MBA student this past season. 

Howard, now a two-time CSC Academic All-American as well as a four-time National Wrestling Coaches Scholar All-American, is the first-ever Loper to be "captain" of a CSC squad. He was a three-time All-American at heavyweight, finishing as a national runner up this past winter, and had 95 career wins. Howard also was a two-time finalist for the MIAA's Ken B. Jones Award and was the 2026 D2 Elite Scholar for wrestling. Finally, he twice won the MIAA Wrestling's  "A" Game scholar award.