KANSAS CITY, Mo – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) proudly announces the 2026 NAIA Scholar-Athletes for spring sports. Each semester, 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, tennis, flag football, beach volleyball 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.
Sterling College had 16 students represented through a variety of sports. Baseball led the way for the Warriors with seven athletes recognized including Aaron Elsasser, Cooper Lovelace, Jace Phillips, Jackson Califano, Jason Smith, Joshua Garcia and Michael Tweed. Women’s outdoor track and field was the next highest with four athletes including Sheridan Nguyen, Aliya McClanahan, Janie Perico and Audrey Blake. Men’s golf was next with three athletes including Antione Lianos, Sondre Storli Jensen and Zachary Surface. Women’s tennis featured two athletes with Cylie LaTourell and Greta Fankhauser while men’s tennis was represented by Adam King. Mallory Siedel rounded out the field as the lone Warrior in softball.
On a national level, the sport breakdown reveals that the highest number of scholar-athletes come from baseball (1,333), women’s track & field (1,219), men’s track & field (1,029) and softball (1,199), each exceeding 1,000 athletes. Golf (M-427, W-379), tennis (W-289, M-271), and men’s volleyball (237) follow closely behind in the 200-500 range, while women’s beach volleyball (148) rounds out the list with a smaller but still notable total.
Be sure to check for news and updates on Sterling Warrior Athletics on Facebook (/SCWarriors), Twitter (@SterlingCSports), and Instagram (sterlingcsports), as well as the hashtag #SwordsUp. Watch the Warriors’ live home events on the Sterling College Sports Network.
