MILWAUKEE, Wis. (naccsports.org) --- Milwaukee School of Engineering track and field athlete Jessa Alderman has been named the recipient of the 2025-2026 G. Steven Larson Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) Student-Athlete of the Year for women's sports.
Alderman is the fourth MSOE female student-athlete to be named NACC Student-Athlete of the Year, following Catherine Chappell (2007-08), Carol Cayo (2011-12), and Jerica Kotarak (2018-19).
Alderman, a Janesville, Wisconsin, native, won eight NACC individual titles in her career. She won three consecutive crowns in both the indoor and outdoor shot put and adding on indoor weight throw titles in 2024 and 2026. Alderman also finished on the podium on four other occasions in the discus throw (third-2025, second-2026) and hammer throw (second-2025 & 2026). She shared Field Athlete of the Meet at the 2026 NACC Outdoor Championships with teammate Josephine Jacklin and was named the 2026 NACC Women's Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year. Alderman was also recognized on campus as MSOE's Female Senior Athlete of the Year.
Alderman capped her career by earning USTFCCCA First Team All-America honors with a fourth-place finish in the shot put at the 2026 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships. She had previously earned second-team all-America honors with 13th-place finishes in the shot put at both the 2024 and 2026 NCAA Indoor Championships.
Alderman graduates holding three NACC records, all set in 2026. She won the shot put at both the NACC indoor (14.02m; 46-0) and outdoor (14.43m; 47-4 1/4) championships in record fashon. Alderman's throw of 15.09 meters (49-6 1/4) at the UW-La Crosse Uncaged Eagle Open in May set a NACC all-time mark and ended the season as the top throw in NCAA Division III. She also holds MSOE records in the shot put (indoor and outdoor) and weight throw.
On campus, Alderman has served as an MSOE Student Success Ally, assisting students in the area of time management, organization, and developing good study habits. She also took the initiative to create opportunities where they previously did not exist, founding MSOE's Water and Environmental Team (WET). After spending over a year working with faculty and staff to meet requirements and overcome challenges, Alderman served as the orgainzation's initial president with the goal of building something sustaining. One of the group's recent projects involved designing an irrigation system for the gardens of a non-profit organization in the Milwaukee area. She also traveled to Guatemala as a member of a public health brigade to improve the sanitation of a rural community with no access to drinking water.
"As a freshman, I quickly realized how much effort it takes to balance multiple responsibilities as a student athlete," remarked Alderman in her personal statement. "Thankfully, I was supported and mentored through that transition, which is why I've made it a priority to give back in this same way to serve others. Even helping one student makes the impact feel meaningful, and I feel like I can lift others up to reach their potential academically. To me, service means stepping up in behind the scenes or mundane tasks, staying positive, and creating opportunities for others, even when I don't directly benefit because others have done the same for me."
"I value academics due to the balance required to succeed as a collegiate student-athlete, especially being in a rigorous engineering program," added Alderman. "I have always been internally motivated in my education, driven by learning new material and solving problems, which has in turn helped me to develop my strong work ethic. However, I have struggled with perfectionism, but engineering has helped me grow, as there is not just one right answer, but there are many solutions that could meet the criteria."
As a result of her dedication in the classroom, Alderman has already started work on a master's degree in civil engineering with a concentration in environmental and water resources engineering (EWRE) as an early-entry graduate student.
Academically, Alderman has been named to the MSOE Dean's List six times, the last four semesters with High Honors. She was also a three-time College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District® selection (2024, 2025, 2026), a two time United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Scholar (2024, 2025), and a 2026 inductee into Chi Alpha Sigma (Wisconsin Lambda Chapter). Additionally, Alderman was named a Winter/Spring 2026 recipient of the NACC's FAR Award for excellence in academics and athletics, service to campus community, and determination for success.
About the NACC Student-Athlete of the Year Award
Each NACC member institution may nominate up to two female student-athletes for the annual award, provided at least one of the institution's nominees is a student-athlete of color or an international student-athlete. The SWASC uses a combination of the following criteria in the selection of the award -- athletic excellence, academic achievement, service and leadership, and personal statement -- and moves the award winner forward as the NACC's conference-level nominee for the Division III Commissioners Association (D3CA) Student-Athlete of the Year Award.
Effective with the 2022-2023 academic year, the award was renamed in honor and memory of NACC founding commissioner Dr. G. Steven Larson. Larson oversaw the NACC from 2006-2020, assuming the commissioner's role after 20 years as director of athletics and head men's basketball coach at Edgewood College. During his final 11 years at Edgewood, he also served as commissioner of the Lake Michigan Conference (LMC). Larson passed away in December 2021.
Other 2025-26 G. Steven Larson NACC Student-Athlete of the Year Nominees - Women's Sports: Haley Barnes, Benedictine University, softball; Arissa Santos, Concordia University Chicago, softball; Ainara Sainz de Rozas, Concordia University Wisconsin, cross country/track & field; Kylee Doherty, Edgewood University, track & field; Gabriella Baltes, Illinois Institute of Technology, soccer/track & field; Katelyn Kitsembel, Lakeland University, volleyball; Faith Papazoglou, Milwaukee School of Engineering, soccer; Taylor Thiry, St. Norbert College, basketball/track & field
G. Steven Larson NACC Student-Athlete of the Year Award -- Women's Sports
Recipients By Year
2025-26: Jessa Alderman, MSOE
2024-25: Deyanneira Colon Maldonado, Aurora & Emma Woodhouse, Dominican
2023-24: Hannah Nelson, Lakeland
2022-23: Sydney Spaeth, St. Norbert
2021-22: Simone Wilson, Concordia Chicago
2020-21: Ali Wilson, Lakeland
2019-20: Timiya Ray, Dominican
2018-19: Tania Paez, Dominican & Jerica Kotarak, MSOE
2017-18: Chelsee Wilson, Concordia Chicago
2016-17: Holly Haberkorn, Benedictine
2015-16: Nicci Bermudes, Aurora
2014-15: Loretta Johnson, Aurora
2013-14: Jenee Lange, Aurora
2012-13: Torey DeLozier, Maranatha
2011-12: Carol Cayo, MSOE
2010-11: Cait Hartman, Aurora
2009-10: KC Blahnik, Lakeland
2008-09: Megan Scheele, Edgewood
2007-08: Catherine Chappell, MSOE
2006-07: Emily Henrich, Wisconsin Lutheran