KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announced its academic awards winners from the 2025 football season. Three hundred and 92 student-athletes from all ten MIAA football institutions were honored by the Association for their efforts in the classroom during the 2025 season. There were also 41 players named MIAA Scholar-Athletes and 30 who earned the Association’s Academic Excellence Award.   
 
To view all of the 392 academic award recipients from the 2025 MIAA football season, click here.

The league’s prestigious Academic Excellence Award was awarded to only 30 football players in the 2025 season. An Academic Excellence Award recipient must have a grade point average used by the institution for NCAA academic certification of at least 4.00 at the certifying member institution. The honoree also must have at least two terms of grades reported at the certifying member institution, excluding summer terms.
 
Missouri Western had a league-best nine student-athletes to boost 4.0 GPAs in the 2025 season, followed by Pittsburg State with seven Academic Excellence Award winners.

The Scholar-Athlete Award distinction went to 41 football players who excelled in the classroom and on the field. In the classroom, a MIAA Scholar-Athlete is an individual who has a grade point average used by the institution for purposes of NCAA academic certification of 3.50 or better at the certifying member institution, with at least two terms of attendance at the certifying member institution. The athlete must have also received All-MIAA honors in the 2025 season to achieve full Scholar-Athlete status.

Three hundred and 92 players were named to the league's Academic Honor Roll. To be recognized on the league’s Academic Honor Roll, student-athletes must have a grade point average used by the institution for purposes of NCAA academic certification of 3.00 or above at the certifying member institution. They also need at least two terms of attendance at the certifying member institution, excluding summer terms.
 
Only nine MIAA football student-athletes earned all three of the league’s postseason academic awards:

• Central Missouri’s Donovyn Omolo – 4.00 GPA – Co-MIAA Freshman of the Year & All-MIAA First Team Offense (QB)
• Central Missouri’s Bo Reeves Graduate – 4.00 GPA – Honorable Mention Offense (TE)
• Central Missouri’s Shawn Martinez – 4.00 GPA – All-MIAA Second Team Offense (OL)
• Missouri Western’s Trevon Holmes – 4.00 GPA – All-MIAA Second Team Defense (DB)
• Northwest Missouri’s Shane Fredrickson – 4.00 GPA – All-MIAA First Team Defense (DB)
• Northwest Missouri’s Chris Ruhnke – 4.00 GPA – Honorable Mention Offense (QB)
• Pittsburg State’s Jeremy Sharp – 4.00 GPA – All-MIAA First Team Defense (DL)
• Pittsburg State’s Carter Stanchfield – 4.00 GPA – All-MIAA First Team Offense (OL)
• Washburn’s Jordan Finnesy – 4.00 GPA – Honorable Mention Defense (DB)

 
These academic awards do not include first-year freshmen or first-year transfers. The MIAA will release its Newcomer Academic Awards from the 2025-26 academic year in late June.