INDIANAPOLIS – Six student-athletes from four Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) schools have been named 2025 Fall Scholar-Athletes of the Year, it was announced by the Conference office on Tuesday. Recipients were honored for their efforts both in the classroom and competition in the sports of men's and women's cross country, football, men's and women's soccer, and women’s volleyball.
Drury’s Tyler Harris and Illinois Springfield’s Madelyn Miller-Ross earned the Men’s and Women’s Cross Country honors, with Missouri S&T’s Joao Vieira and Rockhurst’s Anna Lantz garnering the Men’s and Women’s Soccer honors. Ryne Buttz from Indianapolis is the Football honoree with Missouri-St. Louis’s Skylar Weaver being named as the Women’s Volleyball award winner.
The league selects one student-athlete in each Conference sport to be designated the GLVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The award is based upon athletic accomplishments, both team and individual, and academic performance in the season upon which the award is based. Each GLVC member has the opportunity to nominate one individual from its team for the award. Nominees must have a cumulative grade point average that meets College Sports Communicators Academic All-America® standards (3.50), and freshmen and first-year transfers are not eligible for the award. The voting is completed by each member institution's Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR).
MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
Tyler Harris | Drury | Jr. | Springfield, Mo. | Architecture Major
- Named GLVC All-Conference after placing second in the 8K GLVC Championship (23:51.13), while Panthers finished fifth as a team
- Placed eighth at 10K NCAA Midwest Regional (30:39.2), earning All-Region honors
- Earned At-Large bid to NCAA National Championship
- Collected GLVC Runner of the Week on Oct. 7
- Achieved 4.0 semester and cumulative GPA, studying Architecture, earning a spot on the Dean’s List.
WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
Madelyn Miller-Ross | Illinois Springfield | Sr. | East Moline, Ill. | Elementary Education Major
- Named GLVC Runner of the Year, earning All-Conference recognition at 6K GLVC Championship (21:35.1), while Prairie Stars finished in third place, thie highest the Prairie Stars have finished.
- Placed 10th at 6K NCAA Midwest Regional (21:16.4), earning All-Region honors
- Placed 84th at 6K NCAA National Championships (21:40.7)
- Collected GLVC Runner of the Week on Sept. 10, and Sept. 30.
- Achieved 3.79 cumulative GPA and 4.0 semester GPA, studying Elementary Education, earning a spot on the Dean’s List.
FOOTBALL
Ryne Buttz | Indianapolis | Sr. | Offensive Line | Plainfield, Ill. | Exercise Science Major
- Led Greyhounds to 11-2 overall and 8-0 GLVC record, while the team earned fourth-straight GLVC Championship and fifth 10-win regular season.
- Started all 13 games, helping protect the Harlon Hill trophy runner-up, Gavin Sukup.
- Part of a unit that was tops in DII in passing efficiency and completion percentage, as well as second in total offense and scoring offense, alos finished top ten in red zone offense.
- Named First Team All-GLVC, First Team All-American from AFCA, College Network, and D2Football.com Elite 100, and D2CCA All-America Second Team.
- Named 2025 Academic All-American and is on pace for fourth straight Academic All-GLVC nod.
- Achieved 3.876 semester GPA, holding a 3.781 cumulative GPA in Exercise Science.
MEN'S SOCCER
Joao Vieira | Missouri S&T | Jr. | MF | Punta del Este, Uruguay | Economics Major
- Led Miners to 9-6-3 overall and 7-5-2 GLVC record, earning seventh seed in GLVC Championship Tournament
- Started 13 games, placing tenth in the GLVC in goals (6), and twelfth with 14 points
- Named to the All-GLVC First Team and D2CCA All-Region Second Team.
- Achieved 4.0 semester and 4.0 cumulative GPA in Economics, making the CSC Academic All-American® First Team.
WOMEN'S SOCCER
Anna Lantz | Rockhurst | Sr. | F | Parker, Colo. | Molecular Biology Major
- Led Hawks to 8-6-4 overall and 7-4-3 GLVC record, earning the sixth seed in the GLVC Championship Tournament.
- Started in 17 games, topping the GLVC with 17 goals, and ranking second in shots (82) and fifth in total points (39)
- Ranked fourth in NCAA for goals and 16th in shots per game (75)
- Collected GLVC Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 29 and Nov. 3
- Named GLVC Offensive Player of the Year and selected to the All-GLVC First Team.
- Earned D2CCA All-American Second Team and United Soccer Coaches All-Region First Team.
- Achieved 4.0 semester GPA in Molecular Biology, holding a 4.0 cumulative GPA, being named the CSC Academic Team Member of the Year, making the CSC Academic All-American® First Team.
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
Skylar Weaver | Missouri-St. Louis | Jr. | L | Lansing, Kan. | Business
- Led Tritons to a 26-5 overall and 13-0 GLVC record, winning in GLVC Championship Tournament and advancing to the NCAA Midwest Regional
- Started all 31 matches for Missouri-St. Louis, leading in the GLVC in total digs (614) and digs per set (5.34).
- Ranked 12th in NCAA for total digs and 16th in digs per set.
- Collected GLVC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 8, Sept. 15, and Oct. 27.
- Named GLVC Libero of the Year and First Team All-GLVC.
- AVCA Third Team All-American, AVCA and D2CCA All-Region First Team
- Achieved 3.825 semester GPA with a 3.957 cumulative GPA, studying a business, appearing on Dean's List
- Won CSC Academic All-America® Second Team honors