IWLCA Recognizes Scholar-Athletes of the Year for 2026

By IWLCA Admin, 7/23/26, 2:30pm ET

Photo courtesy of Stevens Institute Athletic Communications.

IWLCA Recognizes Scholar-Athletes of the Year for 2026

NORTHBOROUGH, MASS. – The IWLCA announced its 2026 Scholar-Athletes of the Year, honoring the top student-athlete in NCAA Division I, II, and III and the NAIA. Nominees for the award must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of athletic eligibility, have at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA, and be a starter or significant reserve for their team.

Division I: Annabel Child – Northwestern University
Annabel Child, a graduate student at Northwestern University, exemplifies excellence in the classroom and on the field. She maintained a perfect 4.000 GPA throughout the academic year while pursuing her graduate degree in Management. She previously completed her undergraduate studies at Harvard University with a 3.904 GPA in Human Evolutionary Biology. Child's exceptional academic record earned her Northwestern's Dean's Award for Academic Achievement for maintaining a 4.0 GPA throughout her graduate career, Dean's List recognition every quarter, and induction into the prestigious Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society, reserved for the top 10% of graduates. During her undergraduate career, she graduated with High Honors and Cum Laude distinction and was named a John Harvard Scholar, recognizing her among the top 5% of upper-class students academically. 

On the field, Child served as a cornerstone of Northwestern's 2026 NCAA National Championship team, starting all 22 games as a midfielder. She helped lead the Wildcats to Big Ten regular-season title and capped the year earning a national championship. She contributed 12 goals, three assists, 41 ground balls, and 13 caused turnovers. Her outstanding season earned her All-Big Ten Second Team, IWLCA Second Team All-Region, and Big Ten All-Tournament Team honors.

Division II: Charlie Laye – Florida Southern College
Named the IWLCA Division II Scholar-Athlete of the Year, graduate student Charlie Laye earned her Master of Accountancy this past May, posting an outstanding 3.90 GPA during the academic year. Her commitment to academic excellence earned her recognition as the NCAA Division II Women's Lacrosse Championship Elite Scholar-Athlete, Polk County Female Collegiate Athlete of the Year, and a College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District selection. In addition, she was named a CSC Academic All-American (Second Team), named to the Sunshine State Commissioner’s Honor Roll, and the IWLCA Honor Roll.

Laye also enjoyed a remarkable season on the field, helping lead Florida Southern to the NCAA Division II National Championship. She collected numerous athletic honors, including USA Lacrosse Magazine Preseason All-American recognition, SSC Defensive Player of the Week, All-SSC First Team, USA Lacrosse All-America Second Team, and IWLCA First Team All-America honors.

A dominant presence on defense, Laye started in 21 games this season, recording 44 ground balls and 32 caused turnovers while anchoring one of the nation's top defensive units throughout the 2026 season.

Division III: Lauren Sullivan – Stevens Institute of Technology
Lauren Sullivan, a senior majoring in Mechanical Engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology, has been named the IWLCA Division III Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Sullivan maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA throughout the academic year and graduated first in her class as valedictorian. Her exceptional academic career earned numerous prestigious honors, including CSC Academic All-District recognition, MAC Women's Lacrosse Senior Scholar-Athlete, and the Robbins Scholar-Athlete Award, presented to the male and female student-athletes with the highest cumulative GPA after at least three years of varsity competition. She also received Stevens' Lawrence C.F. Horle Memorial Award for the highest cumulative GPA among graduating seniors, the Eugene Fezandie Award for excellence in Mechanical Engineering, and first place in the Ansary Prize for Student Entrepreneurship. A CSC Academic All-American First Team selection, Sullivan was consistently recognized on the Dean's List, MAC Academic Honor Roll, Academic All-MAC Team, and IWLCA Academic Honor Roll throughout her collegiate career.

Sullivan's excellence extended to the field. She earned USA Lacrosse Second Team All-America, IWLCA Second Team All-America, IWLCA First Team All-Region, MAC Freedom Defender of the Year, and First Team All-MAC Freedom honors during her senior season. A two-year team captain and four-time MAC Freedom Defender of the Year, Sullivan concluded her career as one of the most decorated student-athletes in Stevens history.

NAIA: Koral Hadac – University of the Cumberlands
Koral Hadac, a graduate student at the University of the Cumberlands, concluded the academic year with an impressive 4.0 cumulative GPA. A double major in Business and Accounting as an undergrad, Hadac graduated with her MBA in May of 2026. She was recognized as an NAIA Scholar-Athlete, AAC Academic All-Conference honoree, CSC NAIA Academic All-America Women’s At-Large Team Member of the Year and a CSC First Team Academic All-America for a third time in her collegiate career.

On the field, the program’s first four-time NAIA First Team All-American started 22 games this season and contributed 61 ground balls and 52 caused turnovers to highlight her outstanding play at defense this season. She is also the program’s leader in ground balls with 265. She earned several accolades, including AAC First Team All-Conference, and was listed on the NAIA All-Tournament team after leading the Patriots to a final four appearance.