This week, 23 Fighting Scots were among the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference's Spring 2026 Academic All-Conference honorees, as the PSAC rolled out its inaugural program recognizing high-achieving student-athletes across its 17 member institutions.
The new honor – introduced as part of the conference's strategic plan to elevate academic recognition – requires student-athletes to have completed four semesters at their institution, maintain at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA, and meet sport-specific participation standards based on competition through the Fall 2025 semester.
Edinboro's list spans six sports, led by softball's Lucy Higley, Grace Kessel, Ashley Rose, and Emalie Thomas, who combined consistent production on the field with strong academic performance.
Women's indoor/outdoor track and field produced the largest group of honorees with Maddie Hays, Mackenzie Huston, Madeline Newark, Katie Slimon, Jocelyn Wilson, and Bernadette Zukina earning recognition.
On the men's side, Connor Munson, Trevor Neumann, and Hayden Skinner were honored in the same sport, continuing Edinboro's tradition of balanced success in distance, sprint, and field events.
In women's lacrosse, Angelina Anderson, Skylar Hotchkiss, Rylee Jones, and Olivia Kaminsky represented the Fighting Scots, meeting the rigorous demands of both a fast-paced competitive schedule and academic expectations.
Hailey Sliker was Edinboro's representative in women's golf, while Cecelia Carayol earned distinction in women's tennis and also qualified academically alongside women's golf honorees—highlighting her versatility.
Men's tennis rounded out the Fighting Scots selections with Duarte Correia, Leon Grassnickel and Arsen Tabaldyev.
In total, 382 student-athletes across the PSAC qualified for the Spring 2026 Academic All-Conference teams. The recognition is based solely on academic performance and participation criteria, marking a significant shift toward formally acknowledging the classroom success of athletes across the league.
For Edinboro, the 23 selections underscore a program-wide commitment to excellence, as Fighting Scots student-athletes continue to match competitive drive with academic achievement.
