IWLCA Recognizes Scholar-Athletes of the Year for 2025

The IWLCA announced its 2025 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 – Tori DiCarlo – United States Naval Academy

Tori DiCarlo, a senior Oceanography major at the United States Naval Academy, has been named the Division I Scholar-Athlete of the Year for her outstanding academic and athletic achievements. She maintained a remarkable 3.99 cumulative GPA and earned numerous honors, including College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District, Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Academic All-Patriot League, and recognition as a Naval Academy Distinguished Graduate. She ranks 11th in her class overall, 11th in academic merit, and second in military merit and was recently named an College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-American. A consistent presence on the Superintendent’s, Commandant’s, and Dean’s Lists, DiCarlo also excelled on the lacrosse field, finishing her career with 161 points on 129 goals and 32 assists. She is the 22nd player in Navy women’s lacrosse history to surpass 100 career points and the 16th to record over 100 career goals. This past season, she was chosen by her teammates to wear the No. 6 jersey in honor of the late Lt. Valerie (Cappelaere) Delaney, a tribute reserved for a senior who exemplifies Delaney’s spirit, leadership and character.

Division II – Lindsey Shimborske – Mercy University

Lindsey Shimborske, a senior Health Science major with a concentration in Physical Therapy at Mercy University, has been named the Division II Scholar-Athlete of the Year. She earned this recognition with an impressive 3.991 GPA and a long list of academic honors, including being named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team and earning ECC Women’s Lacrosse Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the third consecutive year. On the field, Shimborske has been equally impactful, holding the school record for caused turnovers while ranking second in both ground balls and draw controls. Her consistent excellence has also earned her IWLCA All-American honors in each of the last three seasons.

Division III – Emily Leiby, Stevens Institute of Technology

Emily Leiby, a graduate student majoring in Civil Engineering, maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA throughout the academic year. A five-time MAC Academic Honor Roll selection and IWLCA Academic Honor Roll honoree, Leiby received numerous prestigious awards and scholarships, including the DoD SMART Scholarship, Edwin “Doc” Farrell Award, and the Stevens Harold J. Raveche Award for academic and athletic excellence. She also received multiple engineering scholarships and passed the Fundamentals of Engineering exam. Leiby was further recognized with the Robert Ridgeway Award for her leadership and contributions to the American Society of Civil Engineers. In her second season as a full-time starter, Leiby's continued emergence garnered her first IWLCA All-America honor as well as a second straight selection to the All-Region and Academic All-MAC teams. Leiby set career highs in goals, assists, ground balls, and caused turnovers this past spring, recording multiple ground balls and caused turnovers in four games, as well as four games with at least three goals and three assists.

NAIA – Bella Olson, Culver-Stockton College

Bella Olson, a senior Biology major at Culver-Stockton College, concluded the academic year with an impressive 3.96 cumulative GPA. A two-time Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete, she was also recognized with the General Chemistry Achievement Award by the college’s biology department. Olson consistently excelled in the classroom, earning President’s List honors five times and making the Provost’s List once. On the field, Olson was a three-year starter for the Wildcats and, although a junior athletically, graduated a year early. She set the school’s single-season assist record with 25 this past spring and also holds the program’s career record for assists with 36.