Madison, Wis. - University of Wisconsin-La Crosse junior Rachel Chesley of Dellwood, Minn. (Mahtomedi) has been named the recipient of the 2024 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Judy Kruckman Women's Gymnastics Scholar-Athlete Award.
 
Chesley maintains a 3.88 grade point average and is majoring in English and double-minoring in Spanish and political science. She is a two-time member of the Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association Scholastic All-America Team, as well as the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll. Chesley has been recognized on UW-La Crosse's Dean's List numerous semesters.
 
Chesley is a four-time National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NGCA) All-America, including a national champion in the uneven parallel bars at the 2023 NCGA Championship. She added a second-place finish in the vault and sixth-place finish in the floor exercise. At the 2022 national championship, Chesley took eighth in the vault. She is a three-time WIAC champion, securing the floor exercise in 2024 and 2022, and the uneven parallel bars in 2023.  

 
In 2023, Chesley was selected the UW-La Crosse Female Athlete of the Year and Team MVP. She received her team's Freshman of the Year honor in 2022.
 
Chesley has volunteered for Steppin' Out In Pink Walk and Veterans Day Breakfast. She has coached gymnastics at a local elementary school, and directed Jr. Eagles Gymnastics classes.

She is the 19th student-athlete in school history to earn the WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award and the first since Dani Barmore in 2019.
 
Also nominated for this year's scholar-athlete award were: Gustavus Adolphus College's Kendra Smaby (Sr., Palo Alto, Calif.); Hamline University's Brianna Weikel (Sr., Mililani, Hawaii/Myron B. Thompson); UW-Eau Claire's Kelsey Donovan (Sr., Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard East); UW-Oshkosh's Kaylie Berens (Sr., Golden, Colo./Wheat Ridge); UW-Stout's Genevieve Czaplewski (Sr., Grand Island, Neb./Grand Island); UW-Whitewater's Sarah Knetzke (Ozark, Mo./Springfield Catholic); and Winona State University's Taryn Sellner (Sr., Mankato, Minn./West).
 
The WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award is named after Judy Kruckman who served as Assistant Commissioner for the WIAC from 1996-98. Prior to this appointment, she was Commissioner of the Wisconsin Women's Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WWIAC) from October, 1984 - September, 1996. Kruckman was the women's athletics director at UW-Eau Claire from 1974-84, and one of the original representatives to the WWIAC when it formed in 1971. She 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, she must be in her 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.