DWU athletic teams and individuals cited with academic honors

July 27, 2026

Several DWU athletic teams and individuals have been cited with academic honors in recent weeks.

NAIA NATIONAL AWARD WINNERS

Three student-athletes have won NAIA national awards at the conference level and will advance to the NAIA's official national ballot.

Emma Yost, Wagner, played a crucial role in helping the women’s basketball team reach the NAIA semifinals during its 2025-26 campaign. Yost won the Emil S. Liston Award at the GPAC level, which is presented to junior men's and women's basketball student-athletes who have shown high athletic and academic achievement, and will now move on to the national ballot. This year Yost won her third-consecutive First Team All-GPAC award and her first-career NAIA All-American nod, along with a spot on the CSC Academic All-District team as a current student in the DWU Nursing program.

John “Jagger” Tyler, Mitchell, was a GPAC Champion at the 174-pound weight class in men’s wrestling, along with achieving an eighth-place finish at the NAIA National Championships to reach All-American status. Tyler won the male A. O. Duer Award from the GPAC and will advance to the NAIA ballot, with the award being given to one male and female junior student-athlete from the 2025-26 season who have excelled in scholarship, character, and citizenship. On the mat, Tyler was one of the team's top performers during the season, becoming the program's third overall outright GPAC Champion and 18th individual to earn All-American honors. Following the wrestling season, Tyler was named CSC Academic All-District for his efforts in the classroom

Elizabeth "Lizzie" Tyler, Mitchell, sister of Jagger and a standout member of Dakota Wesleyan Women's Volleyball, will be joining her brother as an A. O. Duer winner at the conference level and will advance to the national ballot, with this instance marking the first time that both GPAC candidates for the award have come from Dakota Wesleyan. She earned First Team All-GPAC honors and the conference's Co-Defender of the Year award for her efforts this season, along with a First Team All-Region nod from the American Volleyball Coaches Association and Third Team All-American status from the NAIA.

These three student-athletes will advance to the national awards ballot, with winners being announced by the NAIA on National Awards Day on Sept. 15, 2026.

AVCA NAIA TEAM ACADEMIC CHAMPIONS

DWU volleyball has earned the distinction as 2026 NAIA Women's Team Academic Champion by the American Volleyball Coaches Association for their efforts in the classroom and commitment to excelling as true student-athletes.

Following a historic 2025 campaign, and approaching a fresh 2026 schedule, the Tigers earned top honors in the NAIA Women's category with the highest GPA from the school year, posting a 3.84 team mark on a 4.0 scale. This marks the first time in program history that Dakota Wesleyan Volleyball has earned the champion designation from the AVCA.

DWU was one of 1,432 total collegiate and high school volleyball teams to earn a 2026 AVCA Team Academic Award by maintaining a year-long grade-point average of at least 3.3 on a 4.0 scale and achieved Academic Honor Roll for the third-consecutive year as a top 20% academic program in the NAIA.

WGCA ALL-SCHOLAR GPA TEAM AWARD

DWU women’s golf earned an All-Scholar GPA Team Award from the Women’s Golf Coaches Association for their efforts in the classroom during the 2025-26 season

The Tigers posted an astounding 3.826 GPA as a team during the 2025-26 academic calendar, putting them third in the entire NAIA, sitting just behind Wayland Baptist and Briar Cliff.

All-Scholar Team Awards are given to teams that are among the top 25 in their division across NCAA and NAIA designations. Across all nominated teams and divisions, DWU Women's Golf ranks in the top 40 with their overall GPA.