INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -
Maddy Gruender, a graduate student from Mill Valley, California, has been announced as a winner of an NCAA postgraduate scholarship, the association announced on Wednesday.
Gruender, a program record holder in four individual events and five relays, joins 41 others across all three divisions to be award with $10,000 for demonstrating academic achievements along with athletic excellence and leadership in her community. Gruender has solidified her name in the UC Santa Cruz swim and dive record books, appearing in the top-10 lists 37 different times with records in the 100 back, 200 back, 200 free, 500 free, 200 free relay, 400 free relay, 800 free relay, 200 medley relay, and the 400 medley relay. Gruender qualified for 2022 NCAA Championships as the first Banana Slug to make it to NCAAs since 2017 and later qualified as part of the 400 free relay team in the 2023-24 season.
About the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship
Each year, the NCAA awards 126 postgraduate scholarships to student-athletes who have completed their final year of athletics competition. The scholarships are distributed three times annually — in the fall, winter and spring — providing 21 scholarships each to men and women per season. The award is a one-time, nonrenewable scholarship intended to support graduate study at an accredited institution.
Established in 1964, the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship program promotes and encourages graduate education by recognizing the Association's most accomplished student-athletes. The program evaluates candidates on their athletic and academic achievements, campus involvement, community service and leadership. An equitable selection process ensures that all nominees, regardless of sport, division, gender or race, are considered fairly.
See below for a list of this year's recipients.
Women's Awardees
- Addi Barnes, Kansas, swimming and diving
- Bobbi Bazzle, Henderson State, basketball
- Sylvie Binder, Columbia, fencing
- Dyauni Boyce, Montana State Billings, basketball
- Ollie Bream, Wooster, swimming and diving
- Addison Brooks, Kansas, indoor track and field
- Claire Conover, Drury, swimming and diving
- Molly Craig, Williams, swimming and diving
- Evie Dice, Wayne State (Michigan), swimming and diving
- London Eldridge, Olivet, indoor track and field
- Annika Esvelt, Seattle Pacific, indoor track and field
- Sydney Geboy, Kenyon, swimming and diving
- Maddy Gruender, UC Santa Cruz, swimming and diving
- Nina Kucheran, Florida State, swimming and diving
- Rachel Loh, MIT, swimming and diving
- Bri Roberson, Georgia, swimming and diving
- Merissah Russell, Louisville, basketball
- Mia Strazny, Northern Michigan, swimming and diving
- Audrey Wethington, Minnesota, ice hockey
- Loral Winn, Ole Miss, indoor track and field
- Kyra Wu, UC San Diego, fencing
Men's Awardees
- Zach Bann, Miami (Ohio), swimming and diving
- Jack Bell, Luther, swimming and diving
- Mark Berlaga, Stanford, gymnastics
- Adam Braunschweig, Emory, swimming and diving
- Coby Carrozza, Texas, swimming and diving
- Jeff Echols, Emory, swimming and diving
- Brett Farmer, Wisconsin-Eau Claire, swimming and diving
- Jake Foster, Texas, swimming and diving
- Makena Ginoza, Hawaii, swimming and diving
- Tyler Ignazzitto, Albertus Magnus, ice hockey
- John Kersey, Memphis, rifle
- Nolan Lahmann, Emory, swimming and diving
- Luke Malone, University of Illinois Chicago, indoor track and field
- Zack Mattin, Michigan, wrestling
- Alex McCormick, Washington University in St. Louis, swimming and diving
- Nolan McKenna, Trinity (Connecticut), indoor track and field
- Zach Moore, Washington and Lee, indoor track and field
- Cael Schmitt, University of Northern Iowa, basketball
- Andrew Simmons, Auburn, swimming and diving
- Dylan Yin, Emory, swimming and diving
- Jared Zhang, University of Chicago, swimming and diving
