University of Minnesota Athletics
Players Mentioned
Twelve Gophers Named WCHA Scholar-Athletes
2/19/2026 3:00:00 PM | Women's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS - Twelve Golden Gopher women's hockey players are among the student-athletes recognized as 2025-26 Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Scholar-Athlete Award recipients, the conference announced Thursday.
Jamie Nelson was named a Scholar-Athlete for the fifth time,Allie Franco earned her third honor, while Sophia Johnson, Nelli Laitinen, and Ava Lindsay received the award for the second time. Hannah Clark, Kendra Distad, Gracie Graham, Madison Kaiser, Emma Kreisz, Sydney Morrow, and Chloe Primerano garnered the recognition for the first time in their collegiate careers.
To qualify as a WCHA Scholar-Athlete, student-athletes must have completed at least one year of residency at their current institution prior to the academic year and hold a grade point average of 3.50 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) across the previous two semesters or three quarters. Student-athletes may also qualify with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.50 for all terms completed at their current institution.