Men's Ice Hockey

UW-Stout’s Halvorson Named Men’s Ice Hockey Max Sparger Scholar Athlete

MADISON, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Stout’s Jacob Halvorson has been named the recipient of the 2025 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Men’s Ice Hockey Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete Award.
 
A senior from Lonsdale, Minn. (Northfield), Halvorson is enrolled in a graduate program in applied mathematics & data science and sustains a 4.00 grade point average. He earned an undergraduate degree in applied mathematics & computer science and boasted a 4.00 grade point average. Halvorson was named to the 2023-24 NCAA Division III Academic All-America® Men’s At-Large Third Team, selected by the College Sports Communicators. He received American Hockey Coaches Association Krampade All-American Scholar recognition in 2021 and 2023. Halvorson is a four-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll, been recognized on UW-Stout’s Dean’s List numerous semesters and received academic scholarships.
 
A team captain this season, Halvorson was fifth on the squad with 16 points. He accumulated 53 career points, including 22 goals – and four were game-winning goals. Halvorson has been a Chippewa Valley Rally Representative for UW-Stout Athletics the past two years. He is a member of UW-Stout’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, serving on the board the last two years, and was a member of the Applied Math and Computer Science Club in 2021 and 2022. Halvorson has served as a Chancellor’s Intercollegiate Athletic Advisory Council Member and in 2024, he was a member of the UW-Stout Athletics Hall of Fame selection committee. He has worked as an associate financial representative for Northwestern Mutual, and is a mathematical statistician for Energy Information Administration.
 
Also nominated for this year’s scholar-athlete award were: UW-Eau Claire’s Jordan Randall (Sr., Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove); UW-River Falls’ Joseph Foss (Sr., Elk River, Minn./Elk River); UW-Stevens Point’s Matthew Falls (Sr., Toronto, Ont.); and UW-Superior’s Blake Holmes (Sr., Apple Valley, Minn./St. Thomas Academy).
 
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 an assistant football and basketball coach, head wrestling coach and head football coach. He served as UW-Stout's athletics director from 1969-71 and was inducted into the WIAC Hall of Fame in 2012.
 
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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