Madison, Wis. - University of Wisconsin-La Crosse senior Kyra Lard of McHenry, Ill. (East) has been named the recipient of the 2025 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Softball Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete Award, the league office announced Tuesday.
 
Majoring in public health and community health education with a minor in biology, Lard maintains a 3.60 grade point average. She is a two-time member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Academic All-District® Softball Team, selected by the College Sports Communicators. In 2022, she was recognized as a National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America Scholar Athlete. Lard is a three-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll and been recognized on UW-La Crosse's Dean's List numerous semesters.
 
She was named to the 2025 All-WIAC First Team after starting all 41 games and leading UW-La Crosse in batting average at .373 (47-of-126). Lard also led the Eagles in on-base (.459) and slugging (.540) percentage, RBI (29), doubles (15), walks (21) and total bases (68). She was second in hits (47) and runs (26). 
 

Lard earned her fourth career All-WIAC First Team honor,  becoming the seventh player in UW-La Crosse history to be named to the all-conference first team four times. She joins Lynn Steimetz (1983-86), Kari Lundberg (1989-92), Bonnie Henke (1991-93, 1995), Rochelle Vandenlangenberg (1994-97), Jenny Nelson (1999-2022) and Sally Wenzel (2000-03).
 
UW-La Crosse's all-time leader in career doubles (61) and RBI (153), Lard also ranks second in career hits (226) and batting average (.418). She is third all-time in home runs (21) and runs (137). Her 61 career doubles are also a WIAC record.

Lard was tabbed the 2024 WIAC Kwik Trip Position Player of the Year after being named the 2022 WIAC Kwik Trip Newcomer of the Year. She owns single-season program records with 61 RBI and eight sacrifice flies, both accomplished during the 2024 campaign. She helped UW-La Crosse win the WIAC regular-season championship in 2022 and conference tournament in 2023 as the Eagles advanced to the NCAA Division III.
 
Lard is a member of Eta Sigma Gamma and Letters of Love, as well as UW-La Crosse's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Morgan's Message. She has served as an executive office for Eta Sigma Gamma and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Lard has performed undergraduate research and is a YMCA School Age Care Group Leader.

She is the eighth UW-La Crosse student-athlete to earn the WIAC Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete Award, joining Heather Fellner (1988), Lundberg (1992), Marci Braund (1997), Nelson (2002), Jenny Miller (2007), Brittany Baldwin (2018) and Jordyn McCormack (2024).
 
Also nominated for this year's scholar-athlete award were: UW-Eau Claire's Kenna Strunsee (Sr., Waukesha, Wis./South); UW-Oshkosh's Morgan Rau (Sr., Downers Grove, Ill./South); UW-Platteville's Taylor Roughen (Sr., Lake Mills, Wis./Lake Mills); UW-River Falls' Kelly Aultman (Sr., Plainfield, Ill./North); UW-Stevens Point's Rachel Baker (Sr., Richmond, Ill./Richmond-Burton); UW-Stout's Anna Blanford (Sr., Elmwood, Wis./Elmwood); and UW-Whitewater's Kiarra Kostroski (Sr., Fort Atkinson, Wis./Fort Atkinson).
 
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.