Eight members of the William Smith rowing team were named 2025-26 Scholar-Athletes by the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association. This is the second straight year the Herons have had eight athletes earn the award.
 
The CRCA honors more than 1,000 student-athletes who maintained the highest standards of excellence in the classroom and athletic performance across all three NCAA divisions. To earn Scholar-Athlete recognition, student-athletes must be in their second, third, fourth or fifth year of eligibility and hold a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher while competing in an NCAA eligible boat.
 
The following Herons were among this year's honorees:
 

2026 CRCA Scholar-Athletes

Name	Major
Meghan Bartholomay	Economics
Linnea Darius	Biology
Ainsley Kimball	Education and Psychology
Lily Liflander	History
Nora Smith	Public Health
Lizzy Whitney	Business Management and Entrepreneurial Studies
Alayna Wian	Physics
Leah Wiebe	Biochemistry

"Balancing the demands of collegiate rowing and academics requires tremendous commitment, discipline, and support," said Janet Raymer, CRCA Executive Director. "These 1,174 scholar-athletes have demonstrated excellence not only in competition, but also in the classroom. Their achievements reflect the dedication of the student-athletes themselves, as well as the coaches, teammates, faculty, and families who help support their success. The CRCA is proud to recognize their accomplishments."
 
Bartholomay, Smith, Whitney, Wian and Wiebe all earn the award for the second straight year. Darius also was named a Scholar Athlete in 2024.
 
The Herons finished the year third in the final CRCA Division III poll after finishing third in the team standings at the NCAA Rowing Championships. The Herons' varsity eight finished third and the 2V8 was fourth at the national championships. The 2025-26 season also saw William Smith capture its 10th Liberty League Championship, securing three gold medals during the regatta.