Sophomore Kendra Bliss (photo by Frank Novak)

Posted: Mar 19, 2026

Simpson places fifth in NWCA scholar standings, 14 individuals recognized

MANHEIM, Pa. – The Simpson College women's wrestling team placed 14 student-athletes on the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Scholar All-America list while also earning a fifth place finish in the team standings.

The 14 individual honorees mark another strong academic showing for the Storm, with Lainie Burkhart, Ashley Cannon, and Keeley Kehrli each earning the distinction for the third consecutive year. Kendra Bliss, Paige Gershmel, Ella McNamee, and Savannah Sistad also repeated as honorees, collecting their second career awards.

Simpson's fifth place finish in the NWCA Team Scholar All-America standings was backed by a 3.85258 team GPA. The team award is determined by the top 12 student-athletes on each roster, combining both academic performance and competition participation. Ten of the wrestlers contributed by competing in at least 10 matches during the season, while the remaining two were selected based on their high cumulative GPAs and participation in at least one match.

The NWCA Scholar All-American award celebrates student-athletes who exemplify excellence both on the mat and in the classroom. To qualify individually, a wrestler must have placed in the top eight at nationals while maintaining at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA, competed in a minimum of 10 matches with at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA, or qualified for nationals with a minimum 3.25 cumulative GPA.

NWCA Individual Scholar All-Americans