HILLSBORO, Ore. — The Northwest Conference office honored excellence in the classroom on Friday, releasing winners of the NWC Scholar Athlete Award. The Pacific Lutheran University Athletic Department had 191 student-athletes secure the award, including Ethan Keintz and Abby Winkler leading the way as NWC First Team Scholar-Athlete selections. 

A Second Team All-Conference selection this spring, Ethan Keintz played in 133 games during his time on campus, boasting a .324 career batting average with 82 RBIs, 43 extra base hits, 30 doubles, and eight home runs. He played a key role in the Lutes' upset of Division I University of Washington during the 2025 season, belting a solo home run in the squad's memorable 3-1 upset of the Huskies.

Abby Winkler is one of the most prolific goalkeepers in program history, helping the Lutes win at least a share of the NWC title all four of her seasons on campus. Winkler appeared in 66 games over her four year career, netting 245 saves and 30 shutouts with a 0.57 goals against average. This fall she was First Team All-Conference and ended the season as the program's first ever First Team CSC Academic All-American.

PLU's 191 student-athletes earning the NWC Scholar Athlete Award represent all 18 varsity sports on campus with 11 of the Lute sports boasting over a dozen players on the list. Leading the way is the nine-time NWC Champion women's soccer squad with 25 winners while football has the second most with 18 award winners followed by softball with 17. Women's track & field checks in with 16 while women's rowing rounds out the top five with 15 recipients of the honor. Baseball (14), men's soccer (14), women's swimming (13), and the sports of women's lacrosse, men's track & field, and volleyball all had a dozen of more honorees. 

Of PLU's 192 student-athletes, 25 also earned All-Conference honors this past academic year while 15 on the list were multi-sport athletes.

Baseball (14): Brayden Adcox, Colin Downs, Andrew Hickman, Hayden Kaiser, Ethan Keintz*, Gus Livermore, Alex Lopez, Matt Meadows, Ryan Moore, Jake Prewett, Chase Pringle, Matthew Sherwood, Kyle Tat, Connor Tutino
 
Men's Basketball (5): Charlie Kapranos, Logan Lucero, Jamie McGrail, Henry Smith, Ben Tellez*

Women's Basketball (6): Chloe Betts, Kylie Griffin, Kiley McMahon, Ghadir Ramadan, Sydney Reisner*, Emi Wada

Men's Cross Country (6): Jonah Andrews, Isaiah Bradley, Justin Garrett, Jonathan Ochoa, Corban Piper, Caleb Rigney
 
Women's Cross Country (6): Sophia Czar, Piper Gannon, Damaris Ibrahim, Adalia Olmos, Maddie Mitchell, Natalie Moran-Padilla
 
Football (18): Kawika Bacos, Eric Battle Jr., Ryan Bohanan, Joseph Carini, Avery Coleman*, Landen Downey, Will Frank, Brock Kinch, Jalin Littleraven-Oliver, Kaezen Madeira, Ryan Morgan, Laurits Nielsen, Caleb Rhinelander, Dayton Savea, Jacob Schuh*, Shane Swan, Mason Taylor-Wells, Kaden Watts
 
Men's Golf (7): Aiden Aoki, Soren Bostrom, Luke Butler, Tanner Frinell, Tyler Maag, Marcus Otto, Geo Pirrie
 
Women's Golf (3): Emily Alicea, Kathleen Pullin, Kate Sabarillo
 
Women's Lacrosse (12): Taylee Alldredge, Gracie Cecka, Mara Clay, Kassie Diller, Paige Hackman, Mikayla Harter, Issabella Marchio, Emily Mejia, Fiona Stromire, Kathleen Swankowski, Peyton Terhar, Lia Zaboski
 
Women's Rowing (15): Joscelyn Barenaba, Adia Carei, Louisa Compton, Katy Dery, Sareena Dhaliwal, Makayla Hall, Riah Heil, Sarah Hoskins, Kennadi Jones, Kat Judd, Adella Judge, Sylvie Manz, Hannah Miyasaki, Mackenzie Poppe, Tate Trahan

Men's Soccer (14): Mattias Anderson, Quinn Bieber, Gracen Connell, Addison Doyle-Newe, Caleb Gienger, Eli Hamlin, Owen Harned, Daniele Meloni, Mike Murega, Hiro Nagahama-Sequera, Connor O'Brien*, Loren Rogge, Mikey Savencu, Leon Tomno
 
Women's Soccer (25): Kyleigh Archer, Kamryn Ayano, Kodie Bagcal, Kelan Betts, Olivia Boehm, Sydney Bonds, Anna Chaffee, Taylor Christensen, Hailey Glenn, Jadyn Jones, Joslyn Kruse, Kaitlyn Lemus, Payton Martinson, Katie McCabe, Lyla Merte, Kami Novotny, Liv Olson*, Keara Saks, Morgan Sandmire, Jaden Saucelo, Tia Schwetz, Megan Sloane, Mia Speir, Ally Tattar, Abby Winkler*
 
Softball (17): Lex Ahlo-Garcia, Kimara Blakely, Kamalani Doctor*, Alyssa Fierro, Arianna Franco, Mila Hargrave, Alyssa Harris, Grace Kikuchi, Megan Landes, Paityn Mackin, Gillian Renzullo, Alexa Saladin, Bri Sarae, Ashlyn Sera, Jaycie Simpliciano, Rachel Treves, Paige Wilson**
 
Men's Swimming (5): Vyron Domingo*, August Hertz, Sam Johnson, Aidan Koshinsky, Tyler Tanaka*
 
Women's Swimming (13): Alyssa Anderson, Brooke Bradley, Harper Canessa*, Lola Chargualaf*, Ellie Cutting, Emma Gassman*, Anna Haneda, Scout Hawkins*, Julia Lorenzo, Riley Maher*, Kei Nishikawa*, Ella Norby, Julissa Pernsteiner
 
Men's Track & Field (12): Jonah Andrews, Brennan Barrientos, Isaiah Bradley, Peter Essex, Justin Garrett, Hunter Kleindl*, Laurits Nielsen, Jonathan Ochoa, Corban Piper, Caleb Rigney, Kai Satterfield, Kaden Watts
 
Women's Track & Field (16): Lilly Achterling, Kyleigh Archer*, Tulip Carter, Sophia Czar, Madison Downey*, Piper Gannon, Addisen Hering*, Tajanai Huff*, Taylor Kenaston, Maddie Mitchell, Natalie Moran-Padilla, Ki Neir*, Adalia Olmos, Rachel Rosario, Sydney Sparks, Sandra Valmonte*
 
Volleyball (12): Savanna Colliado, Leilah Reese Deuz, Alexis Eggert, Clare Freberg, Haley Goto, Audrey Hansma, Mary Magoun, Macy Matsushima*, Je T'aime Paio, Samia Rudd, Ayre Takamoto*, Julissa Pernsteiner
 
* = All-Conference
** = NWC Player of the Year