ST. PAUL, Minn. – The University of Wisconsin-Superior Yellowjackets leads the competition for the 2023-24 Kruse Award following the conclusion of the winter season. The award, named in honor of long-time Northwestern College (Wis.) and Martin Luther College athletic director Mr. Jerome Kruse, travels to the college with the most points accumulated by the place finishes of the college's athletic teams in the final standings of 18 conference sponsored sports.
 
| UMAC Jerome Kruse Award Website |
| 2023-24 UMAC Kruse Award – Fall Update |
 
The Yellowjackets remain atop the Kruse Award standings with 80.5 points after earning conference titles in three of the four UMAC winter championships: women’s basketball, men’s indoor track & field, and women’s indoor track & field. UWS also tied for runner-up in men’s basketball this year. Combined with the five championships they won in the fall, Wisconsin-Superior has won eight of the 12 UMAC Regular Season Championships so far this season.
 
The University of Northwestern Eagles stay at second place in the standings with 65.5 points. UNW tied for second place in women’s indoor track & field this winter. The Eagles also finished third and fourth in women’s and men’s basketball, respectively.
 
The Bethany Lutheran College Vikings had the biggest jump in the standings after the winter championships, moving two spots up the leaderboard into third place. BLC’s rise in the standings was powered by a championship win in men’s basketball. The Vikings also tied with Northwestern for second place in women’s track & field.
 
Following the fall, the Crown College Polars led the Martin Luther College Knights by just half a point in the standings. After the winter season, the Knights have leapt ahead of the Polars by the same narrow margin. MLC ranks fourth in the updated standings with 48.5 points, their winter season highlighted by a runner-up finish in men’s indoor track & field. Crown follows in fifth with 48 points, having earned two fourth-place finishes in men’s and women’s track & field.
 
The Minnesota Morris Cougars remain in sixth place following the winter season with 45.5 points. The Cougars finished as runners-up in women’s basketball and placed third in men’s indoor track & field.
 
The North Central University Rams with 27.5 points overtook the Northland College Lumberjacks/Lumberjills at 23.5 points for seventh place in the standings following the winter season. NCU tied for second place in men’s basketball and finished in a three-team tie for fourth place in women’s basketball.