The Great Northwest Athletic Conference announced its 2026 all-academic women’s soccer team, recognizing 95 student-athletes for balancing rigorous coursework with on-field competition. Central Washington led the conference with 19 total selections, while Northwest Nazarene closely followed with 18 players named to the list.
Fantasy & Market Impact
- Programs like Central Washington and Northwest Nazarene had high-academic selections with Central Washington leading with 19 total and Northwest Nazarene following with 18 players on the list.
Academic Benchmarks and Conference Standings
To qualify for the Academic All-GNAC list, student-athletes must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.20. Candidates are also required to be in at least their second season competing for their respective programs and must have actively competed on the pitch during the 2026 campaign.
Saint Martin's places third overall in the 2025-26 GNAC Academic All-Sports trophy standings!📚Congrats to Women's Golf and Softball for taking individual team titles!🎾⛳️🗞️: https://t.co/yw2YzzyvYA pic.twitter.com/n6mJp9umPw
Among the 95 selections across the conference, 15 players earned the honor for the third time in their respective careers. Andie Buckley, studying engineering, and Ashlyn Valdovinos, majoring in nursing, set the benchmark for third-year honorees by each posting an impressive 3.99 GPA.
Standout Achievers and Program Totals
A group of eight sophomores achieved a flawless 4.00 cumulative GPA to lead the conference benchmarks. Central Washington boasted five of those stellar scholars: Haley Engstrom in sport management, Olivia Fast in English, Taylor Mills in clinical physiology, Jaylee Reynolds in sport management, and Sadie Schaefer in actuarial science.
Montana State University Billings contributed two 4.00 GPA sophomores in health and human performance majors Peyton Tarabokija and Natalie Weinmaster. Northwest Nazarene added chemistry major Keira Dwinell to the 4.00 cohort.
| School | Total Selections | Key Standouts |
|---|---|---|
| Central Washington | 19 | Haley Engstrom, Olivia Fast (4.00 GPA) |
| Northwest Nazarene | 18 | Keira Dwinell (4.00 GPA) |
Roster Composition Across the GNAC
The total breakdown of the 2026 squad includes 56 newcomers experiencing the honor for the first time, alongside 24 second-year selections and 15 seasoned third-year honorees.
With Central Washington topping the volume chart at 19 selections and Northwest Nazarene pushing 18 honorees through rigorous academic tracks like nursing, chemistry, and actuarial science, the intersection of high-level collegiate athletics and demanding STEM disciplines continues to define the conference landscape.
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