The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) has identified a record 684 student-athletes who have earned the GLVC Brother James Gaffney Distinguished Scholar Award, it was announced on Wednesday.

Named after Brother James Gaffney FSC, former President of Lewis University for over 28 years and two-term Chair of the GLVC Council of Presidents, the award is presented annually to student-athletes competing in GLVC-sponsored sports who achieve a 4.0 grade point average during the course of the academic year. The total number of honorees includes the 15 full-time GLVC members, as well as four eligible associate league members.

The GLVC has seen a significant rise in perfect 4.0 GPAs since the inception of the award in 2016-17, although it began tracking the unblemished marks in 2013-14 as part of the Academic All-GLVC process. After seeing 114 students earn 4.0 GPAs in 2013-14 and 118 in 2014-15, the total spiked 52 percent to 179 in 2015-16, and then 54 percent to 275 in 2016-17 for the inaugural honor. The total jumped to a record 298 students across 15 full-time member institutions in 2017-18, and the league maintained its impressive position with 292 from 14 full-time schools in 2018-19, before nearly doubling the previous record with an 89 percent increase across 16 schools in 2019-20 at 555. The 2020-21 total of 530 was not far off the record set the previous year, despite there being only 15 full-time league members. The 2021-22 total of 582 set a new league record with a 9.8 percent increase from the previous year. In 2022-23, the total was 536 for 13 league members and in 2023-24 there was an 9.14 percent increase with 14 full-time and three eligible associate member schools. This year there has been an increase of 17.1 percent with the honorees jumping up by 100 to total 584 with 15 full-time and four eligible associate member schools.

The full list of Upper Iowa recipients can be found below. The complete GLVC release can found at the link attached to this story. 

Kyle Hrncir, Baseball
Evan Hubatch, Baseball
Brady Stevens, Baseball
 
Kyle Hrncir, Men's Basketball
Trey Kriener, Men's Basketball
 
Nathan Behne, Football
Gage Dunker, Football
Hayden Sathe, Football
Gavin Sweeney, Football
 
Daigo Adachi, Men's Soccer
Fabio Bender, Men's Soccer
Aadhithya Vetriselvan, Men's Soccer
 
Gabriel Christiansen, Men's Wrestling
Caleb Olson, Men's Wrestling
 
Kayla Bohr, Women's Basketball
Steph Cink, Women's Basketball
Mia Huberty, Women's Basketball
Lilly Pepper, Women's Basketball
Abby Riederer, Women's Basketball
Anna Soler, Women's Basketball
 
Genevieve Chenoweth, Women's Cross Country
Eryn Sabelka, Women's Cross Country
Rio Johnson, Women's Cross Country
 
Brynn Bonefas, Women's Golf
 
Aeryn Hatico, Women's Soccer
Emma Johnston, Women's Soccer
Natalie Lima, Women's Soccer
 
Addy Alber, Softball
Tristin Doster, Softball
Sara Reid, Softball
Aubree Terris, Softball
Rae VanMilligan, Softball
 
Myah Brinker, Women's Track and Field
Genevieve Chenoweth, Women's Track and Field
Jillian Dodds, Women's Track and Field
Carolina Regalado, Women's Track and Field
Eryn Sabelka, Women's Track and Field
Rio Johnson, Women's Track and Field
 
Madelyn Hartman, Volleyball
Lydia Imbrogno, Volleyball
Emily Kono, Volleyball
Alexis Moses, Volleyball
Martha Pace, Volleyball