Men's Cross Country | 8/13/2026 12:00:00 PM

La Crosse, Wis. - University of Wisconsin-La Crosse's Aidan Matthai of Wauwatosa (East) and Ava Schiltz of Prior Lake, Minn. (H.S.) were nominated for the 2025-26 Division III Commissioner's Association (D3CA) Men's and Women's Sport Student-Athletes of the Year.

Matthai has been named the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) nominee and advances to the regional ballot where commissioners within each of the 10 regions will vote to determine their honorees. The D3CA Award recognizes graduating student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service, and leadership.

UW-Oshkosh's Clayton Schwalbe (football) was also nominated for the 2025-26 D3CA Award.

UW-Oshkosh's Reanna McGibboney (gymnastics) and UW-Whitewater's Abbie Reiser (golf) were selected the WIAC nominees for the Women's Sport Student-Athlete of the Year. Schiltz and UW-River Falls' Annika Gunderson (indoor and outdoor track & field) were also nominated.
 

Matthai earned four letters in cross country and track & field, earning 10 career National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III All-America honors. He was a two-time All-America in cross country, finishing fifth in 2024 and seventh in 2025 in helping lead UWL to a pair of national titles. Matthai earned three NCAA III All-North Region accolades, placing 10th in 2023, second in 2024 and third in 2025.

Recording three top-eight finishes at the WIAC Championships, Matthai was eighth at the conference meet in 2022, fifth in 2024 and seventh in 2025. The 2022 WIAC Newcomer of the Year, Matthai was a member of four conference title teams with the Eagles.

On the track, Matthai earned five indoor All-America awards, including three in the 5,000-meter run and two in the 3,000-meter run. He was eighth in the 5,000-meter run in 2024, fourth in 2025 and second in 2026 while placing seventh in the 3,000-meter run in 2025 and eighth in 2026. Matthai earned three NCAA III Outdoor All-America honors, including fifth in 2025 and sixth in 2026 in the 10,000-meter run and fourth in the 5,000-meter run in 2026.

He was a member of six national championship teams, including three indoor (2023-25) and three outdoor (2024-26). UWL was also second indoors in 2026 and second outdoors in 2023.

At the WIAC Championships, Matthai captured three league titles, including the indoor 5,000-meter run in 2024 and 2026 and outdoor 10,000-meter run in 2025. He holds the WIAC Indoor championship record in the 5,000-meter run (14:22.02). A member of eight (four indoor; four outdoor) conference title squads, Matthai owns the conference outdoor championship record in the 10,000-meter run (29:37.27) and school record in the outdoor 5,000-meter run (13:54.56).

He was a 10-time U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Region selection, including six indoor and four outdoor.

A team captain in cross country and track & field, Matthai was named the 2026 WIAC Outdoor Track & Field Scholar-Athlete. He earned 2025 CSC Academic All-America® Second Team honors and was a 2025 CSC Academic All-District® First Team selection. Matthai earned his bachelor's degree in statistics with a computer science minor with a 3.96 cumulative grade point average.  He is a four-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll and USTFCCCA All-Academic Team and was on UWL's Dean's list eight semesters. 

He was Co-President of UWL's Actuary Club and an organizer for the UWL Athletics Food Drive. Matthai volunteered with Steppin' Out in Pink, Walk to End Alzheimer's, La Crosse Marsh Spring Cleanup and Hixon/ORA Trail maintenance. 

Schiltz, a two-year captain of the Eagles' lacrosse team, earned All-WIAC First Team honors in 2024, 2025 and 2026. Selected the 2026 WIAC Midfielder of the Year, Schiltz tied for the team lead in goals (51) and shots (107) while leading UWL in assists (17), points (68), shots on goal (83) and game-winning goals (3). She was tied for sixth in the conference in goals (2.83) and shots (5.94) per game while ranking eighth in points (3.78) per game.

Named to 2026 Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) All-West Region Second Team, Schiltz was a member of the IWLCA Senior All-Star Team.

She is UWL's career leader in goals (223), assists (62), points (285) and shots (461) while ranking second in draw controls (191), third in caused turnovers (46) and sixth in ground balls (84). Schiltz started all 70 games in her four-year career. She set a single-season school record with 55 goals in 2025.

Voted the 2026 WIAC Scholar-Athlete, Schiltz was a four-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll. She was a member of UWL's Dean's List six semesters. Schiltz earned her bachelor's degree in exercise sport science with a nutrition minor and 3.70 grade point average. She was named to the 2026 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District® Team.