SCHOLAR ATHLETE LIST

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) released the 2026 Daktronics Spring Sports Scholar-Athletes list on Wednesday. Evangel had 51 total athletes honored, including 17 track & field athletes, 12 baseball athletes, 11 softball athletes, eight tennis athletes, and three golfers.

For the Valor track & field team, Alex Richardson, Alexander Worthley, Benjamin Ipock, Blake Smith, Caleb Gamble, Jace Warren, Kameron Clark, Nathan Hawbaker, Anna McCune, Autumn Nold, Delaney Miller, Emily Glissen, Jayleign Flood, Lauren Davis, Morgan Lilly, Taylor Collins, and Vanessa Perona were all honored. 

For the Valor baseball team, Brayden Epperhart, Cade Beshore, Cooper Wilken, Evan Jno-Baptiste, Hardy Dougan, Heath Perry, Jared Jackson, Justus Cherrico, Kannon Perry, Peyton Gayer, Quentin Edwards, and Russell Roweton were all honored.

For the Valor softball team, Bodie Smith, Camryn Casey, Danielle Cutbirth, Hayleigh Shubert, Karli Facklam, Kenna Mayfield, Lauren Dill, Madi Bentley, Marli Perkins, Naomi Perkins, and Sarah Wilkinson were all honored.

For the Valor tennis team, Gabriel Leal, Jacey Wilson, Lauren Hendrickson, Lidia Bjelica, Maddeline Peters, McKylie Cox, Rachel Chaney, and Vicki Moore were all honored.

For the Valor golf team, Champ McMurry, Catherine Rhoads, and Elayna Danielle Nill were all honored.

The 2026 list features 6,531 student athletes that achieved at least a 3.5 cumulative grade point average (GPA) at their institution in the sport of baseball, softball, golf, lacrosse, track & field, tennis, flag football, beach volleyball and men's volleyball. In order to be nominated by an institution's sports information director, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, must appear on the eligibility certificate for the sport and have attended one full year at said institution.

For the latest information on Evangel Athletics, visit Facebook at Facebook.com/EvangelValor, Twitter (@EvangelValor), or EvangelAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on their favorite EU teams by downloading the Evangel Athletics Gameday App through the App Store or Google Play.  

—#OneValor—