General

WIAC Announces Nominees For NCAA Woman of the Year, DIIICA Awards

MADISON, Wis.--The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) has announced its nominees for the 2025 NCAA Woman of the Year and Division III Commissioner’s Association (DIIICA) Student-Athletes of the Year awards.
 
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse’s Ellie Arndt and UW-Stevens Point’s Ashley Kopp have been selected as the WIAC’s nominees for both the NCAA Woman of the Year and DIIICA Women’s Sport Student-Athlete of the Year awards, while UW-Whitewater’s Matt Scolan has been chosen as the conference nominee for the DIIICA Men’s Sport Student-Athlete of the Year.
 
Now in its 35th year, the NCAA Woman of the Year Award honors the academic achievements, athletics excellence, community service and leadership of graduating female college athletes from all three divisions. By submitting nominations, institutions and conferences have the opportunity to recognize female student-athletes who best exemplify a commitment to these four areas.
 
To be eligible, a nominee must have competed and earned a varsity letter in an NCAA-sponsored sport; must have completed eligibility in her primary sport; must have earned her undergraduate degree no later than the summer 2025 term; and must have a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.50 on a 4.00 scale.
 
The Woman of the Year Selection Committee, made up of representatives from the NCAA membership, will choose the Top 30 honorees — 10 from each division — from the conference-level nominees. The Top 30 honorees will be announced in the fall. The selection committee will then determine the top three honorees in each division from the Top 30 to comprise the group of nine finalists, later in the fall. From those nine finalists, the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will choose the 2025 NCAA Woman of the Year. The honorees will be celebrated at the Woman of the Year Award Presentation at the NCAA Convention in Washington, D.C., in January.
 
The DIIICA Student-Athlete of the Year award recognizes graduating seniors or graduate students who have excelled in academics, athletics, service, and leadership within their Division III athletic careers.
 
Arndt, a native of Appleton, Wis. (St. Francis Xavier), was a member of the soccer team. She maintained a 3.97 grade point average and majored in archeology and recreation management. Arndt  
secured a spot on the 2024 NCAA Division III Academic All-America® Second Team, selected by the College Sports Communicators. She was the 2023 United Soccer Coaches Scholar Player of the Year and earned United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division III Scholar All-America First Team accolades in 2023 and 2024, while being named to the United Soccer Coaches All-North/Central Region Scholar First Team. She secured the 2024 WIAC Women’s Soccer Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete Award and was a four-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll.

Arndt was a three-time United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division III All-American, earning second team honors in 2022, and first team status in 2023 and 2024. Arndt was named to the 2022, 2023 and 2024 United Soccer Coaches Region IX First Team.
 
Arndt played in 90 career games at UW-La Crosse, including 84 starts. She ranks second in school history with 26 assists and sixth with 215 shots. Arndt finished with 16 career goals and 58 career points. 

Named to the 2022, 2023 and 2024 All-WIAC first team, Arndt was selected the 2023 and 2024 WIAC Kwik Trip Offensive Player of the Year. She helped UW-La Crosse win three conference regular-season championships and three tournament titles. UW-La Crosse earned NCAA postseason bids all four years and advanced to the “Elite 8” in 2021 and 2023. 
  
Arndt was a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and volunteered for Steppin' Out in Pink and with the UW-La Crosse Vanguard Organization.
 
Kopp, a native of Muskego, Wis. (Muskego), was a member of the women’s volleyball team. She earned a degree in health science and wellness with a minor in business administration and sustained a 3.77 grade point average. Kopp is a two-time member of the NCAA Division III Women’s Volleyball Academic® All-America Team, selected by the College Sports Communicators, securing third team status in 2023 and second team accolades in 2024. She received the 2024 UW-Stevens Point Volleyball Legacy Award and 2025 UW-Stevens Point Chancellors Leadership Award. Kopp is a four-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll.
 
Kopp is a two-time American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America first team honoree, claiming the distinction in 2023 and 2024, after receiving honorable mention status in 2021 and 2022. She is a four-time AVCA Region 8 first team selection and was tabbed the region Freshman of the Year in 2021 and Player of the Year in 2024. Kopp is a four-time All-WIAC first team honoree and was voted the Kwik Trip Offensive Player of the Year in 2022 and 2024, after receiving Newcomer of the Year status in 2021.
 
Kopp owns the conference’s all-time career kills attempts mark with 5,704, while ranking second with 2,209 career kills. Her 1,572 kill attempts during the 2022 campaign are third on the WIAC single-season list. Kopp is tied for first on UW-Stevens Point’s career list with 208 service aces and ranks fifth with 1,546 digs.
 
Kopp has volunteered with the Salvation Army, Boys and Girls Club, Special Olympics, Volleyball Clinics, Alzheimer’s Awareness, Be The Match, and Portage County Cultural Festival.
 
Arndt and Kopp were selected from a list of individuals from the conference that included: UW-Oshkosh’s Kayce Vaile (Greendale, Wis./Greendale – basketball); UW-River Falls’ Bailey Olson (Willmar, Minn./Willmar – ice hockey); and UW-Whitewater’s Kacie Carollo (Whitewater, Wis./Whitewater – basketball).
 
Scolan, a native of Downers Grove, Ill. (South), earned a degree in finance and compiled a 3.81 grade point average. He is a two-time honoree on NCAA Division III Academic All-America® First Team, selected by the College Sports Communicators, and was tabbed the 2024 NCAA Division III Baseball Academic All-America® of the Year. Scolan is a four-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll and received the Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete Award this season.
 
Scolan set program career records in at-bats, runs scored, hits, RBI, home runs and walks. He secured All-America First Team honors from D3baseball.com and the American Baseball Coaches Association in 2024 and 2025, and was selected the WIAC Kwik Trip Position Player of the Year both seasons.
 
During his time as a Warhawk, the team amassed a record of 160-42, winning the WIAC regular-season title three times and the WIAC tournament crown twice. The Warhawks reached three NCAA Super Regionals, and were the national runner-up in 2024 before winning the national championship in 2025.  
 
In the community, Scolan has worked with Helping Hands in Illinois. He was voted by his teammates as team captain in both 2024 and 2025.
 
Scolan was selected from a group of individuals that included:  UW-La Crosse’s Sam Blaskowski (Oshkosh, Wis./West – track & field) and UW-River Falls’ Aaron Borgerding (Spring Valley, Wis./Spring Valley – football).
 
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