Madison, Wis. - University of Wisconsin-La Crosse senior Cameron Sorenson of Oshkosh (North) has been named the recipient of the 2023 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Max Sparger Men's Outdoor Track & Field Scholar-Athlete Award, the league office announced Monday.
 
Sorenson is double-majoring in sociology and political science and sustains a 3.78 grade point average. He will be attending the University of St. Thomas (Minn.) School of Law in the fall of 2023. Sorenson is a three-time member of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Team, as well as the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll. He has conducted capstone research on welfare assistance and state fragility, and socio-economic factors and violent crime rates. Sorenson has been recognized on UWL's Dean's List numerous semesters. 

 
At this year's WIAC championship, he finished as the runner-up in the long jump for the second straight season after placing fourth in 2019. Sorenson added a sixth-place finish in the javelin this season. He secured USTFCCCA All-North Region honors in the long jump in 2022, and has helped UWL secure three league titles (2019, 2021, 2023).
 
Sorenson is a volunteer and former staff member at the Local Boys and Girls Club of Greater La Crosse, as well as a volunteer at the La Crosse Community Thanksgiving Dinner, Veteran's Day Breakfast and the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Track & Field Championships.
 
Also nominated for this year's scholar-athlete award were:  UW-Eau Claire's Zach Yengo (Sr., Eau Claire, Wis./Regis); UW-Oshkosh's Andrew Rathkamp (Sr., Cedarburg, Wis./Cedarburg); UW-Platteville's Benjamin Veverka (Sr., Wisconsin Rapids, Wis./Assumption); UW-River Falls' Kyle McCullough (So., Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake); UW-Stout's Owen Jelinek (Sr., Lodi, Wis./Lodi); and UW-Whitewater's Ty Jahnke (Jr., Watertown, Wis./Watertown).

Sorenson is the 14th student-athlete in UWL history to be selected the WIAC Max Sparger Outdoor Track & Field Scholar-Athlete.
 
The WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award is named after Max Sparger, who served as commissioner of the Wisconsin State University Conference for 22 years from 1971-93. He oversaw the transition of the conference from NAIA to full NCAA membership. Sparger arrived at UW-Stout in 1959 and served the institution in a variety of capacities, including an assistant football and basketball coach, head wrestling coach and head football coach. He served as UW-Stout's athletics director from 1969-71 and was inducted into the WIAC Hall of Fame in 2012.
 
In order to be nominated for the scholar-athlete award, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.50 grade point average. In addition, he must be in his last year of competition, or on schedule to graduate this academic year, and have competed for a minimum of two years. The award is based on academic achievements, athletics accomplishments and involvement in other campus activities, organizations and community service projects.