General

2026 UMAC Scholar-Athlete Leadership Award winners

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Among a field of 16 talented and dedicated Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) senior student-athletes recognized as finalists for the 2026 Scholar-Athlete Leadership Award, two individuals have set themselves apart from the rest through consistent success on and off the field of competition.

Rachel Schoeneck of Martin Luther College has been named the 2026 UMAC Scholar-Athlete Leadership Award winner for the women, while Greg Ohman of the University of Minnesota Morris has been tabbed as the men’s winner, the conference office announced Monday.
 
| Finalists Release  | Past Winners |
 
Through this award, the UMAC recognizes the role athletics plays in developing leaders by rewarding athletes' excellence in the classroom as well as service to the community. The honor is awarded annually to one male and one female graduating senior from UMAC full member-institutions.
 
Schoeneck and Ohman emerged from a group of finalists that demonstrates a healthy balance by achieving excellence in academics, leadership, and service while participating in intercollegiate athletics. Finalists for each institution were nominated by the UMAC Faculty Athletics Representatives (FAR) and the winners were also selected by the FAR Council.

2026 UMAC WOMEN'S SCHOLAR-ATHLETE LEADERSHIP AWARD WINNER
Name: Rachel Schoeneck
Institution: Martin Luther
Major:  Double Major in Elementary Education & Spanish Language Education
Sport(s): Soccer (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025) & Tennis (2023, 2024, 2025)
 
Academic Achievements:
  • MLC "Dean's List" Academic Honors (all semesters)
  • UMAC All-Academic Conference Honors (all semesters as student-athlete)
  • MLC Presidential Scholarship (GPA-related, highest level)
  • Jim Unke Memorial Scholarship (campus service, work ethic, leadership - faculty nominated)
  • Gerhard Bauer Scholarship (education majors with exceptional teaching ability/spiritual maturity - faculty nominated)
 
Leadership and Service:
  • Soccer: two-year captain
  • She enjoyed helping her teammates grow as soccer players by encouraging them and offering tips to improve their skills and gameplay. She also got to serve as a mentor to her teammates off the field. She checked in on the girls frequently and intentionally to see how things were going. Her favorite part of mentoring the girls off the field was having conversations with them about the highs and lows of life. In addition to leading in these ways, one of her captain's responsibilities was to organize team-bonding activities for the girls. She led the games and explained the directions and the purpose of the activities.
  • She also played tennis, and while she was never officially a captain, she was an upperclassman in her final year with a first-year coach. That coach turned to her for guidance and recommendations based on what had been done in previous years. It was also an opportunity for Rachel to speak on behalf of the team in areas where they hoped to see change from previous seasons.
  • Served as the student dorm supervisor (paid). She was the on-duty supervisor for one semester, but was also around during the second semester to help out and continue being a leader for the girls in the dorm. As the student dorm supervisor, Rachel organized dorm events and new-student orientation weekend activities, led RA meetings, communicated with the school dorm staff about students of concern, ensured students adhered to dorm rules, and facilitated floor meetings.
  • Volunteered as a mentor for a small group of freshman girls in our support programs for new students. It was her responsibility to check in with them regularly and see how their campus life, academics, dorm life, spiritual life, and personal life were going. She said, "It opened many doors for me to share my stories and experiences and lead by example. This experience also helped me learn how to lead peers and people older than me (she worked with some transfer students). At first, it was uncomfortable, but as the semester went on and I grew in confidence, it became more natural. I enjoyed this experience and feel it helped me develop my leadership skills."
  • Part of the Spanish Bible Study group on campus. She helped plan and organize the Spanish church services related to that group's effort. She often helped lead the music for those services. In addition to leading Spanish worship music, she also led other music during chapel services throughout the last four years.
  • Outside of MLC, Rachel leads music by playing piano at her home church and at a local congregation, Zion in Winthrop, MN.
  • This past summer, Rachel had the opportunity to take an MLC "Daylight" (mission) trip to Reno, NV, and help with their soccer camp. She got to lead the 7 to 9-year-old group with two assistants.
  • At home, Rachel works at a small pottery shop. Over the past couple of summers, she has worked several volunteer "art camp" shifts, during which she taught summer campers how to paint and led them through various art projects.
Other:
  • All-UMAC Honorable Mention (2023, 2024) - Women's Soccer
  • Second-team All-UMAC (2025) - Women's Soccer


 
 
2026 UMAC MEN'S SCHOLAR-ATHLETE LEADERSHIP AWARD WINNER
Name: Greg Ohman
Institution: Minnesota Morris
Major: Business & Management
Sport(s): Football (2022-25) & Track & Field-Indoor & Outdoor (2023-25)
 
Academic Achievements:
  • Chi Alpha Sigma (Athletic honor Society)
  • Dean's list (7, going on 8 semesters)
  • 4x Academic All-Conference (Football)
  • 5x Academic All-Conference (Track & Field, Indoor & Outdoor)
  • 3x CSC Academic All District (Football) 5x CSC Academic All-District (Track & Field, Indoor & Outdoor)
 
Leadership:
  • Football Team Captain (2025): Go-to leader for student athletes on the football team FB.
  • 2024 UMAC Sportsmanship Award (Track & Field)
  • Cougar football ambassador: represents Cougar football during recruit visit days and at other times SAAC (consistent participant).
 
Service:
  • SAAC events-tip night at Pizza Ranch (Fundraiser to support SAAC activities)
  • Parade of Lights (represented UMM in the Morris's annual Thanksgiving parade)
  • Help community members move (each fall the football team helps students arriving on campus move into the dorms)
  • Feed my Starving Children (Team Activity)
  • Trick-or-can for food shelf (Campus-wide effort to support the Stevens County Food Shelf)
  • Assisting with PE class at elementary school (Individual volunteer opportunity, facilitated through athletics)
  • Help with RFC home-school co-op class (Individual volunteer opportunity, facilitated through athletics)
  • 2x one-weeklong mission trips to Guatemala and Jackson MS (Activity not affiliated with UMM, but indicates Greg's priorities)
 
Other:
  • Football: 3x All Conference (LB), 1x All Conference (LS)
  • Track: 2x All-UMAC, 2nd in discus 2023 & 2024 outdoor, 2024 UMAC Sportsmanship Award, Currently 8th in the UMM Discus record book
  • In August Greg and his wife leave for a 3-month long mission trip to Zambia, Africa. After that they plan to do long term missions through whatever organization God is calling them to do.