INDIANAPOLIS - 36 Upper Iowa student-athletes were recognized on the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Brother James Gaffney Distinguished Scholars list. Named after Brother James Gaffney, FSC, former President of Lewis for more than 28 years and a 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. 

With 36 athletes awarded, the Peacocks totaled the second-most as a program since joining the GLVC. Upper Iowa had 40 athletes awarded for the 2024-25 school year. This is the first year that every GLVC-sponsored program was featured on the list for the Peacocks. 

Seven UIU programs recorded or tied their highest number of honorees since joining the GLVC. These programs were men's basketball, football, men's golf, women's golf, volleyball, men's wrestling and women's wrestling. Volleyball's eight selections are the most by a single Upper Iowa team since joining the conference. 

The GLVC's total of 780 distinguished scholars eclipses last year's record of 684 honorees by 96 recipients and marks a 14-percent increase. This marks the highest total since the award's inception in 2016-17 and marks the fourth consecutive year the league has recognized more than 500 student-athletes. 

All 15 full-time member institutions and seven associate members were represented on this year's list. 

Releases from the GLVC and the full list of recipients can be found at the links above.

Here is the full list of Upper Iowa Distinguished Scholars
Kyle Hrncir, Baseball, Upper Iowa
Kyle Hrncir, Men's Basketball, Upper Iowa
Eric Kenesie, Men's Basketball, Upper Iowa
Trey Kriener, Men's Basketball, Upper Iowa
Bryar Duwe, Women's Basketball, Upper Iowa
Josie Foster, Women's Basketball, Upper Iowa
Katie Kraft, Women's Cross Country, Upper Iowa
Eryn Sabelka, Women's Cross Country, Upper Iowa
Connor Andresen, Football, Upper Iowa
Nathan Behne, Football, Upper Iowa
Klay Seehase, Football, Upper Iowa
Gavin Sweeney, Football, Upper Iowa
William Benedict, Men's Golf, Upper Iowa
Delaney Martin, Women's Golf, Upper Iowa
Florian Deick, Men's Soccer, Upper Iowa
Binh Truong, Men's Soccer, Upper Iowa
Kyler White, Men's Soccer, Upper Iowa
Natalie Lima, Women's Soccer, Upper Iowa
Addyson Alber, Softball, Upper Iowa
Cara Farnam, Softball, Upper Iowa
Taylor Hamaker, Softball, Upper Iowa
Katie Kraft, Women's Track & Field, Upper Iowa
Bailey Nordyke, Women's Track & Field, Upper Iowa
Carolina Regalado, Women's Track & Field, Upper Iowa
Eryn Sabelka, Women's Track & Field, Upper Iowa
Morgan Block, Volleyball, Upper Iowa
Abby Buchanan-Kenzinger, Volleyball, Upper Iowa
McKenna Diermeier, Volleyball, Upper Iowa
Lydia Imbrogno, Volleyball, Upper Iowa
Carley Jonker, Volleyball, Upper Iowa
Reese Martin, Volleyball, Upper Iowa
Alexis Moses, Volleyball, Upper Iowa
Martha Pace, Volleyball, Upper Iowa
Kale Hansen, Men's Wrestling, Upper Iowa
Dawson Schmit, Men's Wrestling, Upper Iowa
Eliana Callies, Women's Wrestling, Upper Iowa