Men's Cross Country

UW-La Crosse’s Grant Matthai Named Men’s Cross Country Max Sparger Scholar Athlete

MADISON, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-La Crosse’s Grant Matthai has been named the recipient of the 2025 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Men’s Cross Country Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete Award.
 
Matthai, a senior from Wauwatosa, Wis. (Wauwatosa East), maintains a 4.00 grade point average, while majoring in statistics with a minor in computer science. In 2025, he was named to the NCAA Division III Academic All-America® Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field First Team, selected by the College Sports Communicators, and collected U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Men’s Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors. He is a three-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll, been named to UW-La Crosse’s Dean’s List numerous semesters and received academic scholarships from the UW-La Crosse Foundation.
 
Matthai won his second straight WIAC championship this year to help UW-La Crosse win its eighth straight title. A season ago, Matthai received All-America honors after placing third at the NCAA Division III championship. He also took third at the regional meet to secure All-Region status. In 2023, Matthai received All-Region honors with a fourth-place regional finish and added All-WIAC first team recognition with a third-place finish at the conference championship. In 2022, he placed 12th at the WIAC championship and received All-WIAC second team honors. Matthai helped UW-La Crosse win the 2024 NCAA Division III Championship. A team captain this year, he holds the 8,000-meter school record.
 
In addition to his academic and athletic accomplishments, Matthai is president of UW-La Crosse’s Actuarial Club.
 
Also nominated for this year’s scholar-athlete award were: UW-Eau Claire’s Cooper Feltz (Sr., Germantown, Wis./Germantown); UW-Oshkosh’s Cameron Cullen (Sr., Kewaunee, Wis./Kewaunee); UW-Platteville’s Josh Stone (Sr., Larsen, Wis./Winneconne); UW-River Falls’ Nick Aanenson (So., Nowthen, Minn./St. Francis); UW-Stevens Point’s Mike Brown (Sr., Butternut, Wis./Butternut); and UW-Whitewater’s Dan Anderson (Sr., Eau Claire, Wis./Chippewa Falls McDonell).
 
The WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award is named after Max Sparger, who served as commissioner of the Wisconsin State University Conference for 22 years from 1971-93. He oversaw the transition of the conference from NAIA to full NCAA membership. Sparger arrived at UW-Stout in 1959 and served the institution in a variety of capacities, including as an assistant football and basketball coach, head wrestling coach and head football coach. He served as UW-Stout's athletics director from 1969-71.
 
In order to be nominated for the scholar-athlete award, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.50 grade point average. In addition, he must be in his last year of competition, or on schedule to graduate this academic year, and have competed for a minimum of two years. The award is based on academic achievements, athletics accomplishments and involvement in other campus activities, organizations and community service projects.
 
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