Men's Cross Country

UW-La Crosse’s Matthai Named WIAC Nominee For D3CA Men’s Sport Student-Athlete of the Year

MADISON, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-La Crosse’s Aidan Matthai has been named the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) nominee for the 2025-26 Division III Commissioner’s Association (D3CA) Men’s Sport Student-Athlete of the Year.
 
Matthai, a native of Wauwatosa, Wis. (Wauwatosa East), was a member of the cross country and indoor and outdoor track & field teams. He earned an undergraduate degree in statistics with a concentration in actuarial science and minor in computer science. Matthai had a 3.96 grade point average during his undergraduate coursework and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in applied statistics.
 
Matthai received the 2026 WIAC Outdoor Track & Field Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete Award and is a four-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll. He secured a spot on the 2025 NCAA Division III Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field Academic All-District® Team and was recognized on UW-La Crosse’s Dean’s List eight semesters.
 
As a member of the cross country team, Matthai helped UW-La Crosse win NCAA Division III championships in 2024 and 2025, after being the national runner-up in 2023. Matthai is a two-time All-American with a fifth-place national finish in 2024 and seventh-place performance in 2025. The Eagles also claimed WIAC championships from 2022-25, as Matthai earned All-WIAC first team recognition in 2024 and 2025.  
 
In indoor track & field, UW-La Crosse won NCAA Division III championships in 2023, 2024 and 2025. Matthai secured five All-America awards during his career. In the 5,000-meter run, he placed eighth in 2024, fourth in 2025 and second in 2026. Matthai added a seventh-place finish in the 3,000-meter run in 2025, before an eighth-place performance in 2026. He helped UW-La Crosse win four conference titles with a pair of individual titles in the 5,000-meter run (2024 and 2026). Matthai owns the WIAC championship record in the 5,000-meter run.
 
In outdoor track & field, UW-La Crosse secured the national crown in 2024, 2025 and 2026. Matthai claimed three All-America awards - finishing fifth in the 10,000-meter run in 2025, and fourth in the 5,000-meter run and sixth in the 10,000-meter run in 2026. The Eagles won four WIAC titles in his career and he owns the conference championship record in the 10,000-meter run. Matthai also owns the school record in the 5,000-meter run.
 
Matthai served as team captain for the cross country and track & field programs. He was Co-President of UW-La Crosse’s Actuary Club and an organizer for the UW-La Crosse Athletics Food Drive. Matthai volunteered with Steppin’ Out in Pink, Walk To End Alzheimer’s, La Crosse Marsh Spring Cleanup and Hixon/ORA trail maintenance.
 
UW-Oshkosh’s Clayton Schwalbe (Waukesha, Wis./Waukesha North - football) was also nominated for the D3CA award.
 
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