CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Academic accolades continue to pour in for Nebraska Wesleyan men's soccer standout Zach Weis, as the goalkeeper was named a finalist for the 2024–25 A-R-C Duane Schroeder Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award, as announced by conference officials on Wednesday, December 17.
Now in its 25th year, the award is named in honor of the late Duane Schroeder, a long-time sports information director at Wartburg College. Schroeder served the institution for 43 years before retiring in 2000, later earning the title of SID Emeritus and continuing as Wartburg's News Director through 2001. During his tenure, he also played a major role in conference leadership, serving as the league's information director and secretary/treasurer for much of his career.
Weis' selection as a finalist follows an extraordinary senior year of academic and athletic achievement. The Omaha, Neb., native was named a First Team CSC Academic All-American in 2024, earned an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, and was a recipient of the Chi Alpha Sigma Postgraduate Scholarship. He was also named to the conference's All-Academic Team for the third consecutive season.
A double major in political science and philosophy & religion, Weis graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan with a perfect 4.00 GPA and is currently continuing his academic journey at Harvard Law School. He became the first Nebraska Wesleyan men's soccer player since 2015 to earn Academic All-America honors.
On the field, Weis matched his academic excellence with elite play between the posts. He was a First Team All-Conference selection for the second time in his career after leading the Prairie Wolves with 100 saves in 2024, including 10-save performances against Wartburg and Dubuque. He recorded seven shutouts on the season and played a key role in leading Nebraska Wesleyan to its first A-R-C Championship match appearance since joining the conference.
Weis closed his career with 323 saves, ranking fourth in program history.
Three student-athletes were named finalists for the 2024–25 award, with the recipient set to be announced on January 7. Garrett Lenners was the last Prairie Wolf to win the honor in 2022–23. Weis would become the first men's soccer student-athlete in program history to earn the distinction.
