March 5, 2026
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) proudly announces the 2026 NAIA Scholar-Athletes for winter 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 winter sports who have excelled academically, including basketball, bowling, competitive cheer, competitive dance, swimming & diving and wrestling.
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.
A total of 926 student-athletes were named the NAIA prestigious academic award, with 67 wommen’s basketball student-athletes from the Frontier Conference. Valley City State (N.D.) leads the conference with 11 recipients.
All 12 league members recorded at least one NAIA Women’s Basketball scholar athlete.
Below is the list of NAIA Women’s Basketball Scholar Athletes from the Frontier Conference:
Bellevue (Neb.) (1)
- Mailey Malone – sophomore
Bismarck State (N.D.) (3)
- Adeia Erickson – sophomore
- Aleah McPherson – sophomore
- Kali Dauenhauer – sophomore
Carroll (Mont.) (7)
- Ava D Oakland – senior
- Elizabeth A Denny – junior
- Gracie Millimen – sophomore
- Halle Fitzgerald – sophomore
- Isabelle Erickson – senior
- Sadie Smith – sophomore
- Willa E Albrecht – senior
Dakota State (S.D.) (8)
- Bria Wasmund – junior
- Caitlin Dyer – senior
- Cierra Watkins – junior
- Eliza Oltmanns – sophomore
- Ella Carstensen – sophomore
- Hamtyn Heinz – sophomore
- Lillie Ross – sophomore
- Tabor Teel – senior
Dickinson State (N.D.) (5)
- Allie Kohn – sophomore
- Brae Eneboe – senior
- Kyrie Alldredge – senior
- Sadie Stevenson – sophomore
- Talissa Fischbach – junior
Mayville State (N.D.) (4)
- Bethany Holter – senior
- Hannah Stark – senior
- Misti Zempel – senior
- Taylor Hill – senior
MSU-Northern (2)
- Addisen Kiefer – senior
- Rebecca Melcher – senior
Montana Tech (7)
- Avery Carlson – senior
- Halle Haber – junior
- Kameryn Ketcham – sophomore
- Liv Wangerin – senior
- Olivia Nielson – senior
- Rachel Van Blaricom – senior
- Selene Morrell – junior
Rocky Mountain (Mont.) (9)
- Brenna Linse – senior
- Emma Timm – sophomore
- Gabriella Biittner – junior
- Isabella Morris – junior
- Isabelle Heggem – sophomore
- Lorien Schulthies – sophomore
- Madeline Heggem – senior
- Makenzie Strachan – sophomore
- Tailyn Black – junior
Montana Western (7)
- Ava Bellach – junior
- Brooke Deyak – sophomore
- Isabella Lund – senior
- Kasey Hendren – sophomore
- Keyera Davis – senior
- Kyle Pancost – sophomore
- Mila Hawk – sophomore
Providence (Mont.) (3)
- Camryn J Cartwright – senior
- Madison Reibel – sophomore
- Mckenna S Reggear – graduate student
Valley City State (N.D.) (11)
- Abigail Aslesen – junior
- Aubrey Prunty – sophomore
- Delaney Cotton – junior
- Elizabeth Lukken – sophomore
- Ellie Braaten – junior
- Ellie Powell – junior
- JayCee Richter – senior
- Madison Spacher – senior
- Olivia Backus – junior
- Sophie Bachmeier – junior
- Tilda Mauritzson – sophomore