INDIANAPOLIS – Rockhurst women’s soccer student-athlete Anna Lantz and Illinois Springfield men’s tennis student-athlete Pablo Herrera have earned the 2026 Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Postgraduate Scholarships, it was announced by the Conference office on Tuesday.
The GLVC Postgraduate Scholarship is awarded to one male and one female each year in the amount of $2,500 each to be used in the first year of post-graduate enrollment at the institution of their choice.
Lantz will attend dental school at the University of Missouri-Kansas City starting in Fall 2026, leaving Rockhurst after a decorated four-year career on the pitch. The Parker, Colorado native earned numerous conference, regional, and national accolades during her time with the Hawks, highlighted by Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) Second Team All-American honors in 2025 and GLVC Offensive Player of the Year accolades in 2024 and 2025. Lantz was a four-time First Team All-GLVC selection, earned multiple all-region honors from both D2CCA and United Soccer Coaches, and collected seven GLVC Offensive Player of the Week awards alongside two United Soccer Coaches National Player of the Week selections. She also claimed GLVC Freshman of the Year honors in 2022. Lantz concluded her career as Rockhurst’s all-time leader in goals scored (50) and total points (120). Rockhurst senior woman administrator Kathy Strecker described Lantz as a student-athlete who “displays determination, perseverance, and compassion” while also “handling the demands of her time and energy in a very responsible manner.”
In the classroom, Lantz finished with a perfect 4.0 GPA, earning her bachelor’s degree in molecular biology with a minor in general business. She earned a trio of academic major honors in both 2024 and 2025: College Sport Communicators (CSC) Division II Women’s Soccer Academic All-American Team Member of the Year, CSC First Team Academic All-American, and GLVC Women’s Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year. A 2026 Rockhurst Biology Scholar Award recipient, Lantz garnered Dean’s List recognition every semester from Fall 2022 through Fall 2025 and was inducted into the prestigious Alpha Sigma Nu Jesuit honor society in Spring 2025. She also served in numerous leadership roles across campus, including Vice President of Activities for the Rockhurst Honors Program, Pre-Dental Club Vice President, Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) women’s soccer representative, RU Orientation Leader, and student senator. Her work outside of the classroom was equally impressive, dedicating more than 300 hours supporting children with physical and developmental disabilities at Adam’s Camp Colorado, while also contributing service hours at KC Care Dental Clinic, St. Luke’s Hospital’s NICU program, and the KCSG S.T.A.R.S. soccer program for children with diverse disabilities.
Yu Liu – one of Lantz’s professors – stated, “Anna is an intelligent and motivated individual who has manifested many outstanding character traits in my organic chemistry course and beyond. Her solid approach to studying and positive personal traits really set her apart from others, and I am convinced that such characteristics will benefit her tremendously in any future endeavor.”
Herrera has competed four seasons on the UIS men’s tennis team, collecting All-GLVC honors thrice in 2024, 2025, and 2026 while also serving as team captain for the Prairie Stars. In 2026, Herrera played No. 1 singles and doubles, posting a 15-7 singles record for the season.
UIS head tennis coach Henrique Leal said, “Pablo leads by example through his consistency, work ethic, and approach each day. He holds himself to a high standard and naturally brings out the best in those around him. I have full confidence in Pablo and believe he will continue to make a meaningful impact
wherever he goes.”
Double majoring in computer science and mathematical sciences, Herrera was named to the Academic All-GLVC team twice (2024-25) and carries a 3.94 GPA into his final semester as an undergraduate. He plans to pursue a master’s degree in artificial intelligence at Loyola University, with the intention to use his degree to apply AI and sports analytics to tennis performance. The senior from Jerez de la Frontera, Spain has claimed additional academic honors including UIS Dean’s List seven times, Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-Academic Team Scholar-Athlete two times (2024-25), GLVC Brother James Gaffney Distinguished Scholar Award two times (2024-25), Academic All-GLVC two times (2024-25), and CSC Academic All-District once (2024).
Outside the classroom, Herrera remained active in service and community engagement throughout his collegiate career. He volunteered at a local animal shelter in Fall 2025, assisting with facility maintenance, animal care, and daily operations, along with helping at the 2025 GLVC Women’s Volleyball Championship. Herrera also dedicated time to humanitarian and community service efforts abroad, helping distribute clothing and food to families in need through Madre Coraje from 2018 to 2022 and supporting elderly residents with daily care assistance at DomusVi Residence in 2019.
In order to qualify for consideration, the nominee must graduate by the end of the academic season – or by the end of the summer – of the application year, must have earned a cumulative grade point average of 3.3 (on a 4.0 grading scale), have competed in a GLVC-sponsored sport for at least two years, and be a member of a team in the year the scholarship is awarded. Each league member may nominate one male and one female from their respective institution.