NAPERVILLE, Ill. - Seven student-athletes from the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin were named to the 2025-26 College Sports Communicators Academic All-America® Men’s and Women’s At-Large Teams in CCIW-sponsored sports, announced by CSC this week.

Illinois Wesleyan led the CCIW with four Academic All-America® selections, including men’s golf honorees Juney Bai and Pablo Castro and women’s golf honorees Emily Gastrau and Grace Fagan. North Central added two women’s wrestling selections in Taylor Miess and Sara Sterner, while Elmhurst men’s lacrosse standout Eli Spence also earned national recognition.

Bai and Gastrau were named First Team Academic All-America® selections. Miess and Sterner earned Second Team honors, while Castro, Fagan and Spence received Third Team recognition.

The CSC Academic All-America® At-Large program recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined achievement in competition and in the classroom across sports not covered by sport-specific Academic All-America® programs. CCIW-sponsored at-large sports include men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s volleyball, men’s and women’s wrestling and women’s bowling.

Bai earned First Team Academic All-America® honors for Illinois Wesleyan men’s golf. A senior business major with a 3.98 grade-point average, Bai received Academic All-America® honors for the second consecutive season after previously earning Second Team recognition in 2025.

Castro joined Bai among the national honorees, earning Third Team Academic All-America® honors. The Illinois Wesleyan sophomore is a business major with a 3.68 GPA and was one of three CCIW men’s student-athletes recognized on the NCAA Division III Men’s At-Large Academic All-America® Team.

Spence represented Elmhurst on the Third Team after a standout career with the Bluejays’ men’s lacrosse program. A senior environmental studies major with a 3.88 GPA, Spence was one of 45 student-athletes selected to the NCAA Division III Men’s At-Large Academic All-America® Team.

On the women’s side, Gastrau earned First Team Academic All-America® honors after a career-best season for Illinois Wesleyan women’s golf. A junior finance major with a 4.00 GPA, Gastrau was one of 16 student-athletes selected to the NCAA Division III Women’s At-Large First Team.

Miess earned Second Team Academic All-America® recognition for North Central women’s wrestling. A junior philosophy major with a 4.00 GPA, Miess was one of two Cardinals named to the NCAA Division III Women’s At-Large Second Team.

Sterner also received Second Team Academic All-America® honors for North Central women’s wrestling. A senior sociology and criminology major with a 3.84 GPA, Sterner joined Miess among the national honorees after helping continue North Central’s rise as one of the nation’s premier women’s wrestling programs.

Fagan received Third Team Academic All-America® recognition for Illinois Wesleyan women’s golf. A sophomore psychology and Hispanic studies major with a 4.00 GPA, Fagan was one of 15 student-athletes named to the NCAA Division III Women’s At-Large Third Team.

The seven Academic All-America® selections followed a strong CCIW showing on the CSC Academic All-District® At-Large Teams in June. The conference placed 68 student-athletes from full-time and affiliate institutions on the Academic All-District® At-Large lists, including 35 men’s honorees and 33 women’s honorees from women’s bowling, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s volleyball and men’s and women’s wrestling.

Augustana senior Mark Addison was also recognized by CSC as the NCAA Division III Men’s At-Large Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year for men’s water polo, a sport sponsored by Augustana but not by the CCIW. Addison was previously honored this year as a CSC Academic All-American in men’s swimming & diving, a CCIW-sponsored sport.

2025-26 CCIW CSC Academic All-America® At-Large Honorees

Men’s At-Large
Juney Bai, Illinois Wesleyan, Men’s Golf — First Team
Pablo Castro, Illinois Wesleyan, Men’s Golf — Third Team
Eli Spence, Elmhurst, Men’s Lacrosse — Third Team

Women’s At-Large
Emily Gastrau, Illinois Wesleyan, Women’s Golf — First Team
Taylor Miess, North Central, Women’s Wrestling — Second Team
Sara Sterner, North Central, Women’s Wrestling — Second Team
Grace Fagan, Illinois Wesleyan, Women’s Golf — Third Team

Additional Augustana Recognition
Mark Addison, Augustana, Men’s Water Polo — First Team; NCAA Division III Men’s At-Large Team Member of the Year
Addison’s Team Member of the Year honor was awarded in men’s water polo, which is sponsored by Augustana but not by the CCIW. Addison also earned CSC Academic All-America® honors in men’s swimming & diving during the 2025-26 academic year.

About College Sports Communicators Academic All-America®

The Academic All-America® program, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances in athletic competition and in the classroom. Student-athletes must first earn Academic All-District® recognition to advance to the national Academic All-America® ballot, which is voted on by CSC members.