Photo by: Tim Seley - KU Marketing
31 Jayhawks Earn the Big 12’s Highest Academic Honor
6/30/2026 1:00:00 PM | Football, General, Track & Field, Women's Basketball, Women's Rowing, Women's Soccer, Women's Swimming and Diving, Women's Track and Field, Women's Volleyball
IRVING, Texas – A total of 31 Kansas student-athletes across eight different sport programs were given the Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Award for the 2025-26 school year, the Big 12 Conference announced Tuesday. The award is the highest academic achievement in the Big 12.
In order to be eligible for the Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Award, student-athletes must have lettered at least once in their career while maintaining residence at their institution for at least one academic year. The honoree, which can only be recognized once, should have 100 hours of earned credit with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.80 or better at the time of the nomination.
The award is in memory of Lage (pronounced LAYJ), who served as the Oklahoma State faculty athletics representative with the NCAA and the Big Eight/Big 12 Conference from 1983 until his death in 2007.
Leading the way for Kansas was the Jayhawk football team with eight student-athletes receiving the award. Rowing, swimming and diving, and women's track and field followed with five each, while soccer had two and women's basketball men's track and field had one each.
The full list of Kansas student-athletes to receive the 2025-26 Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Award includes:
Lilly Meister - Women's Basketball
Leyton Cure - Football
Justice Finkley - Football
Bryce Foster - Football
Finn Lappin - Football
Laith Marjan - Football
Landon Nelson - Football
Cole Petrus - Football
Ezra Vedral - Football
Grace Bailey - Rowing
Kayley Chism - Rowing
Emerson Linthicum - Rowing
Grace Morenz - Rowing
Abby Steffen - Rowing
Caroline Castans - Soccer
Olivia Moore - Soccer
Ryan Johnston - Swimming and Diving
Lucia Krings - Swimming and Diving
Shiyun Lai - Swimming and Diving
Mia Waldron - Swimming and Diving
Bradie Ward - Swimming and Diving
Hobbs Campbell - Men's Track and Field
Bethany Druse - Women's Track and Field
Reese Hulcher - Women's Track and Field
Mason Meinershagen - Women's Track and Field
Abree Winfrey - Women's Track and Field
Kaitlyn Swartz - Women's Track and Field
Aisha Aiono - Volleyball
Raegan Burns - Volleyball
Cristin Cline - Volleyball
Ellie Schneider - Volleyball
In order to be eligible for the Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Award, student-athletes must have lettered at least once in their career while maintaining residence at their institution for at least one academic year. The honoree, which can only be recognized once, should have 100 hours of earned credit with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.80 or better at the time of the nomination.
The award is in memory of Lage (pronounced LAYJ), who served as the Oklahoma State faculty athletics representative with the NCAA and the Big Eight/Big 12 Conference from 1983 until his death in 2007.
Leading the way for Kansas was the Jayhawk football team with eight student-athletes receiving the award. Rowing, swimming and diving, and women's track and field followed with five each, while soccer had two and women's basketball men's track and field had one each.
The full list of Kansas student-athletes to receive the 2025-26 Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Award includes:
Lilly Meister - Women's Basketball
Leyton Cure - Football
Justice Finkley - Football
Bryce Foster - Football
Finn Lappin - Football
Laith Marjan - Football
Landon Nelson - Football
Cole Petrus - Football
Ezra Vedral - Football
Grace Bailey - Rowing
Kayley Chism - Rowing
Emerson Linthicum - Rowing
Grace Morenz - Rowing
Abby Steffen - Rowing
Caroline Castans - Soccer
Olivia Moore - Soccer
Ryan Johnston - Swimming and Diving
Lucia Krings - Swimming and Diving
Shiyun Lai - Swimming and Diving
Mia Waldron - Swimming and Diving
Bradie Ward - Swimming and Diving
Hobbs Campbell - Men's Track and Field
Bethany Druse - Women's Track and Field
Reese Hulcher - Women's Track and Field
Mason Meinershagen - Women's Track and Field
Abree Winfrey - Women's Track and Field
Kaitlyn Swartz - Women's Track and Field
Aisha Aiono - Volleyball
Raegan Burns - Volleyball
Cristin Cline - Volleyball
Ellie Schneider - Volleyball
Players Mentioned
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
/ Women's Rowing
L/DS
/ Women's Volleyball
/ Track & Field
DEF
/ Women's Soccer
/ Women's Rowing
S
/ Women's Volleyball
TE
/ Football
/ Track & Field
DE
/ Football
OL
/ Football
/ Track & Field
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
P
/ Football
/ Women's Rowing
K
/ Football
/ Track & Field
F
/ Women's Basketball
/ Women's Rowing
S
/ Football
DE
/ Football
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
/ Track & Field
LB
/ Football
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
/ Track & Field
Friday, June 05
Tuesday, June 02
Monday, June 01
Monday, June 01