Case Western Reserve University senior William Froass was named the recipient of the Elite Scholar-Athlete Award for the 2026 NCAA Division III Men's Swimming and Diving Championships. Froass received the honor prior to the finals session of the championship on Friday night in Indianapolis.
The Elite Scholar-Athlete Award, an award founded by the NCAA and previously known as the Elite 90, recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in their sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among their peers. The Elite Scholar-Athlete Award is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the site of the finals for each of the NCAA championships.
Eligible student-athletes are sophomores or above academically who have participated in a sport for at least two years with their school. All ties are broken by the number of credits completed.
Froass, who is an electrical engineering major at CWRU, has a 4.0 cumulative GPA. He is the 12th Case Western Reserve student-athlete to win the award since it was first given out during the 2009-10 academic year and the second member of the Spartan men's swimming and diving team. Drew Hamilton, a 2018 CWRU graduate, received the award at the national championships in 2018.
This is the first Elite Scholar-Athlete award for the department this year and the 15th in university history.
Froass qualified for his first career NCAA Swimming Championships this season, helping Case Western Reserve's 400 Free Relay secure a spot in the national championship. He is the third leg on the relay, setting a school record with a time of 2:58.67 at the Spartan Invite last month. As a sophomore, Froass helped set the 200 Medley Relay school record, which still stands at 1:29.64. He is a three-time University Athletic Association All-Academic honoree and has twice been inducted into the CWRU Van Horn Society for juniors and seniors with a cumulative GPA above 3.8.
Froass and the 400 Free Relay will compete in the prelims tomorrow after 10 a.m. with the finals scheduled for 6 p.m. The 2026 NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships conclude on Saturday.
For more information on the Elite Scholar-Athlete Award winners, log on to https://www.ncaa.com/Elite-Scholar-Athlete-Award
