• OVC Scholar Athlete Award History
The Ohio Valley Conference has selected six individuals to receive its prestigious Scholar-Athlete Award for 2025-26. 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 2024-25 school year.
The 2025-26 Ohio Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete winners are:
Hayden Bell of Morehead State (rifle),
Maggie Conrad of Tennessee Tech (soccer),
Sullivan Gleason of Southeast Missouri (track & field),
M.E. Hargan of Morehead State (volleyball & beach volleyball),
Brooklyn Marcee of Little Rock (track & field) and
Josh Newell of Lindenwood (baseball).
Hayden Bell – Bell competes for the Morehead State rifle team, serving as a captain. He has earned All-OVC honors in each of his seasons with the Eagles, including second-team honors in both air rifle and smallbore last season. Last year he earned a spot to compete at NCAA Championships in Air Rifle and competed for Team USA at the International Shooting Sport Federation’s (ISSF) Junior World Championships in Peru. Bell also established a new school record in air rifle a year ago. In the classroom he has a 3.839 grade point average in mathematics. He has been named to the OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll three times, honored as CSC Academic All-District twice, and named to the CRCA Scholastic All-American Team three times. On campus he has been a senator in the Student Government Association and member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). He was awarded the OVC Community Service award last year for his involvement in the community. His volunteer activities included working with local elementary schools, a domestic abuse shelter, a local food bank and Athletes in Action.
Maggie Conrad – Conrad is in her fourth year as a starter for the Tennessee Tech women’s soccer program. She earned second-team All-OVC honors as a goalkeeper in 2024, has been named OVC Goalkeeper of the Week multiple times and has been part of three OVC regular season championship teams. Twice she has been voted by her teammates the winner of the “Golden Eagle Award” given for serving as the “heart of the team.” In the classroom she has a 4.0 grade point average in EXPW (exercise science. She has earned multiple OVC Academic Medal of Honor awards, named to the Tennessee Tech’s Dean’s List and the TTU Athletic Directors Honor Roll. She is a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), the Exercise Science Majors Club, serves as a Athletics Tutor and is a lab assistant in Human Anatomy and Physiology. She has volunteered with the Kiwanis Miracle League Buddy program and as a remote area medical clinic volunteer among other activities.
Sullivan Gleason – Gleason competes as a pole vaulter for the Southeast Missouri track and field program. A year ago he placed third at the OVC Outdoor Championships by clearing 15’9”; he also competed in the NCAA West Regionals, placing 33rd overall after a vault of 16’5.5”. In the classroom he carries a 4.0 grade point average in computer science and has earned the OVC Academic Medal of Honor multiple times. He is a member of the University Jazz Band, Chair of the SEMO Student Research Conference Banquet and Awards and a member of the Competitive Programming Club. Gleason serves as a piano instructor at the Southeast Missouri Music Academy and was an athletic tutor at the Holcomb Success Center.
M.E. Hargan – Hargan competes for both the Morehead State indoor and beach volleyball programs. An outside hitter, she has been a four-year starter during the fall indoor season and started and been a two-time captain in the spring beach season. Indoor she has earned a pair of first-team All-OVC honors and was named to the 2024 OVC All-Tournament squad. Earlier this season she became a member of the MSU 1,000 Kills Club. In beach volleyball she has also been selected All-OVC (2024). In the classroom she has a 3.762 grade point average in Veterinary Science (with a minor in Chemistry). She has earned the OVC Academic Medal of Honor, been named Academic All-District and to the MSU Dean’s List. She is a member of the Pre-Vet Club, the Ceramics Club and serves as a Biology Lab teacher’s assistant. She was a recipient of the OVC Community Service Award, volunteering thousands of hours at several places including the Elizabethtown Animal Hospital, the Kentucky Equine Hospital and MedVet Hospital among other volunteers activities. She also studied abroad in the Galapagos Islands in the spring of 2024.
Brooklyn Marcee – Marcee competes in pole vault for the Little Rock track and field program. During her career she has earned five silver medals at the OVC Championships and one bronze finish. In the classroom she has a 3.98 grade point average in business management (with minors in applied communications and sport management). She has earned the OVC Academic Medal of Honor, been named to the Chancellor’s and Dean’s Lists, been tabbed a Chancellor’s Leadership Corp Scholar and the Business Freshman Scholar of the Year. She is a member of the Student Activities Board, serving on the leadership team as the volunteer coordinator. She is on the Executive Board of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), volunteered with the Trojan Food Panty, the Little Rock Marathon and various home athletic events.
Josh Newell – Newell is a pitcher for the Lindenwood baseball team, where he has served as a team captain. A season ago he was named OVC Pitcher of the Year after he compiled a 10-2 record in 15 starts. The 10 wins led the OVC and set a Lindenwood single-season record. He has a 3.97 grade point average in sport management with a minor in marketing. Newell has been named to the OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll, earned the OVC Academic Medal of Honor and been a Dean’s Honor Roll selection. He has volunteered on campus with “Lions Late Night” and “Frozen Roar” sports management department initiatives, volunteered with football and hockey operations and Marcy’s Project, a non-profit organization who helps those in need across St. Charles County.
Other nominees for the Scholar-Athlete Award were:
Addi Brownfield of Western Illinois (basketball),
Brett Galletti of Eastern Illinois (football),
Ellie Hall of Southern Indiana (cross country/track & field),
Trey Hill of Little Rock (baseball),
Luke Johnson of UT Martin (cross county/track & field),
Caleb Joshway of Tennessee State (track & field),
Brady Kaufmann of SIUE (golf),
Isaac Legault of Tennessee Tech (cross country),
Kenley McCarn of UT Martin (basketball),
Karlie McKenzie of Eastern Illinois (softball),
Giah Thomas of Tennessee State (cross country/track & field),
Anna Thomason of Southeast Missouri (track & field),
Avery Wapp of Lindenwood (softball) and
Tyler Zimmerman of Southern Indiana (cross country/track & field).