• Scholar-Athlete Award History

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. - The Ohio Valley Conference has selected six individuals to receive its prestigious Scholar-Athlete Award for 2026-27. The award is the highest individual honor that can be earned by OVC student-athletes and is given annually to three men and three women student-athletes for their accomplishments in both the classroom and athletic arena, and because of their leadership qualities.
 
The six winners were selected from a group of finalists by a vote of OVC Faculty Athletics Representatives. Honorees must have performed athletically with distinction, earned at least a 3.5 grade-point average and conducted themselves in a manner which has brought credit to the student-athlete, his or her institution, intercollegiate athletics and the OVC. The award is based on academic and athletic criteria/accomplishments achieved during the 2025-26 school year.
 
The 2026-27 Ohio Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete winners are: Alisha Frederick of Eastern Illinois (softball), Daniel Gierer of SIUE (baseball), Reagan McGee of UT Martin (beach volleyball), Angus Monro of UT Martin (cross country/track & field), Sydney Sennett of Morehead State (volleyball/beach volleyball) and Landen Swiney of Southern Indiana (cross country/track & field).

Alisha Frederick – Frederick plays outfield for the Eastern Illinois softball team. A year ago, she earned first-team All-OVC honors after hitting .313 with 42 runs scored (the ninth-most in school history) and 29 walks (the sixth-most in school history). In the classroom she has a 4.0 grade point average in human services (elementary education) and earned the OVC Academic Medal of Honor, was named to the EIU Dean’s List and was an Academic All-District selection by the College Sports Communicators (CSC). She is actively involved in the leadership of Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA).

Daniel Gierer – Gierer has been a three-year starter in the outfield with the SIUE baseball team, starting 154 of 160 contests entering the 2027 season. He earned OVC All-Freshman honors in 2024, first-team All-OVC honors in 2025 and has a career batting average of .301. In the classroom he has a 3.943 grade point average in biology with a minor in chemistry. He earned the OVC Academic Medal of Honor in 2025-26 and has been a multiple-time selection to the Dean’s List. Gierer is a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA).

Reagan McGee – McGee is in her fourth year as a member of the UT Martin beach volleyball program. She was named to the All-OVC Freshman Team in 2024 and earned All-OVC second-team honors in 2024 and 2025. In the classroom she has earned a 3.97 grade point average in accounting and finance. She has earned the OVC Academic Medal of Honor multiple times in addition to being named to the UT Martin Chancellor’s Honor Roll. McGee is a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and the Chi Omega Sorority, where she has been involved in numerous community service projects.

Angus Monro – Monro is a distance runner with the UT Martin cross country and track & field programs. He earned second-team All-OVC cross country honors in 2024 (ninth-place finish) and first-team honors in 2025 (fourth-place finish) when he helped the Skyhawks to the team championship, and once again in 2026 (fourth-place finish). In 2026 he was part of the winning team in the Distance Medley Relay at the OVC Indoor Track and Field Championships. In the classroom he has a 3.76 grade point average in civil engineering. He has earned the OVC Academic Medal of Honor and been named to the OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll, the UTM Athletics Directors Honor Roll and the UTM Chancellor’s Honor Roll. He is a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and volunteered at numerous events on campus and in the Martin community.

Sydney Sennett – Sennett competed for both the Morehead State indoor and beach volleyball teams. A setter for the indoor team, she has tallied over 2,000 career assists.  A year ago, she earned All-OVC honors while helping the Eagles to a share of the OVC regular season championship in addition to helping the team to the Final of the OVC Tournament in both 2024 and 2025. A year ago (2026) she appeared in every match in the 5’s pair in beach volleyball. In the classroom she has a 3.841 grade point average in strategic communications. She earned the OVC Academic Medal of Honor in 2025-26 and has been named to the OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll multiple times. She is a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and has 50-plus hours of volunteer activities at MSU sporting events, in addition to helping with numerous community events, including Read Across American, the Boys and Girls Club and God’s Pantry Food Bank.

Landen Swiney – Swiney competes for the cross country and track & field teams for Southern Indiana. He finished eighth at the recent OVC Cross Country Championship. A season ago he placed 18th at the OVC Cross Country Championship, was fifth in the 10,000 meters at the OVC Outdoor Championship and sixth in the 5,000 meters at the OVC Indoor Championship. In the classroom he completed his degree in healthcare administration with a 3.952 grade point average and is now working on a MBA. He has earned the OVC Academic Medal of Honor, been named to the OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll and earned the USI Eagle Pride Award (highest GPA among male student-athletes at USI). He has been a member of the Exercise Science and Kinesiology Club and volunteered as a youth track coach, camp volunteer and church young adult small group leader.
 
Other nominees for the Scholar-Athlete Award were: Stefaniya Anikina of SIUE (tennis), Ellie Hall of Southern Indiana (cross country/track & field), Cade McCadams of Southeast Missouri (cross country/track & field), Jace Patrick of Morehead State (golf), Nina Schuberth of Southeast Missouri (volleyball), Hannah Steinmeyer of Western Illinois (cross country/track & field), Alex Stout of Eastern Illinois (track & field) and Ryan Wrobleski of Western Illinois (soccer).