CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) announced today that former Nebraska Wesleyan track and field student-athlete Garrett Lenners has been named the A-R-C Duane Schroeder Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the 2022-23 academic year, in the 23rd year of the award. The award, the highest individual honor from the conference, goes to an alumnus from the previous academic year. 
 
Lenners had a successful career at Nebraska Wesleyan as a six-time All-American. He earned All-American status at the 2023 Outdoor NCAA Championship (800 - 3rd; 4x400 - 7th), the 2023 Indoor NCAA Championship (800 - 4th; 4x400 - 5th), the 2022 Outdoor NCAA Championship (800 - 4th), and at the 2022 Indoor NCAA Championship (800 - 5th). He additionally was a national qualifier for the 2021 Indoor NCAA Championship for the 4x400 relay team. He was named A-R-C All-Conference on nine occasions and currently holds five Nebraska Wesleyan school records. 
 
Academically, Lenners graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan with a cumulative 3.76 GPA on a 4.0 scale while majoring in Biology. Lenners picked up A-R-C All-Academic Team honors on three occasions (2021, 2022, 2023). He was additionally named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team in 2022 and 2023. Lenners earned the prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship in 2023. 
 
In the community, Lenners was actively involved in a variety of service projects and volunteer efforts. He volunteered with Tabitha Meals on Wheels where he delivered meals to individuals with disabilities and economically disadvantaged individuals. Showing an interest in the medical field, Lenners spent time as an EMT Ambulance Operator at Midwest Medical. Additionally, he volunteered as a first aid responder during the 2019 Bike MS Nebraska Event. He was active in Fellowship of Christian Athletes and SAAC.
 
"Garrett Lenners is an outstanding athlete, but more importantly, an exceptional student,” said A-R-C Commissioner Marie Stroman. “He has a proven track record of the commitment to the appropriate balance in college opportunities. Congratulations to Garrett for a successful collegiate career that is now recognized as one of the best in the A-R-C."
 
Lenners is the second Nebraska Wesleyan student-athlete to be named Scholar-Athlete of the Year, behind Andy Vasquez (2019-20), since joining the A-R-C in 2016. 
 
What They Say About Garrett Lenners
Nebraska Wesleyan University Retired Director of Track & Field / Cross Country Ted Bulling: “During my career, I have been blessed to work with many outstanding scholar-athletes who have achieved academically and athletically at very high levels. I can say however that Garrett Lenners has combined leadership skills, academic success and athletic prowess in a way that puts him at the very top of that list.”
 
Nebraska Wesleyan University Associate Professor of Biology Cindy Marolf, EdD: “Garrett is an excellent student academically and did very well in my course. He has strong critical thinking and communication skills. In addition to his academics, Garrett was very active on campus as part of the track team, as a member of his fraternity, Student Affairs Senate, Pre-Health club, and other activities at NWU. This demonstrates his commitment and time management skills with these activities requiring a great deal of time and organizational skills. Garrett works well with members of a small group. I observed his skills in working with others in my histology course. He was an active leader in both lecture and lab. Knowing his academic and personal skills, I asked him to be a teaching assistant for my Human A&P labs. I could always count on Garrett to know what needed to be done and to help students highly effectively in the lab as they worked through activities and had questions about the material.”
 
Garrett Lenners: “The camaraderie I built with my teammates is something that I will cherish for the rest of my life. For four years, I practiced alongside some of the most astounding men and women I have ever met, my 800 meter teammates specifically were the ones that I created my most fond memories with. Our practices included early morning runs after blizzards, track workouts in the hot sun, and hundreds of miles run each season. Nonetheless, it was this suffering that brought us closer and molded us into better versions of ourselves. Through all the awards, records, and accolades I earned during my track career, none are more important to me than the friendships I made. It is this camaraderie which has made the greatest impact on my life.”
 
Also nominated for the 2022-23 A-R-C Duane Schroeder Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award was Central track & field athlete Lucas Heitz and Wartburg football player Sam Reyes. 
 
The Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year is selected among the finalists by a vote of the A-R-C Faculty Representatives (FAR). 
 
About the Scholar-Athlete of the Year Awards
The American Rivers Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards were first presented in December 2001 for the 2000-01 academic year. To be eligible for nomination, a student-athlete shall have graduated or exhausted their athletic eligibility during the academic year for which the award is given. The nominee must have demonstrated a high level of accomplishment and achievement in a varsity sport, have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale), and show evidence of scholarly achievements, community service involvement and leadership. Both awards were named originally for former Wartburg College and Conference sports information director Duane Schroeder in May 2002. The women’s award was renamed in 2013 for former Luther College student-athlete Johanna Olson - the inaugural winner of the women’s award - who lost a courageous battle with cancer in January 2013.
 
About Duane Schroeder 
The American Rivers Conference Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award is named in honor of the late Duane Schroeder, former sports information director (SID) at Wartburg College. Schroeder served as Wartburg’s SID for 43 years until his retirement in 2000. Upon his retirement from his sports information duties, he was named SID Emeritus and served as Wartburg’s News Director until 2001. During much of his four decades at Wartburg, Schroeder served as the Conference’s information director and secretary/treasurer.