Indianapolis, Ind. - On Tuesday, June 30, the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) announced University of Findlay women's swimmer Emily Mears-Bentley as the league's Female Scholar Athlete of the Year. Each academic year, the conference awards Scholar-Athlete of the Year to one male and one female who has compiled the most outstanding record in athletics, scholarship, and leadership. Nominees are voted on by the league's Faculty Athletic Representatives and Athletic Directors.

"Emily represents everything we hope to see in a student-athlete," said Director of Athletics Jim Givens. "Her achievements in the classroom and in the pool make her incredibly deserving of this honor. Being named the Great Midwest Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year is a testament to her unwavering commitment to excellence, and we are proud to see her recognized as one of the conference's very best."

This year, she became the first female at Findlay to win an NCAA DII National Championship in an event, the 200 butterfly. At the national meet, she earned seven first team all-American honors, four of which were individual honors, on her way to leading the Oilers to a seventh-place finish at the meet, the highest finish in program history. She concludes her career in the pool with 24 all-American honors, 17 of which were first team. She won 26 conference titles and is a four-time Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) Swimmer of the Year.

In the classroom, Mears-Bentley graduated with her degree in psychology, holding a 3.95 cumulative GPA all while being an active leader in UF's Oiler Swim School. She was also named the 2025-26 Academic All-America Team Member of the Year and a three-time academic all-American.

She becomes just the second female student-athlete from Findlay to be named the Great Midwest Scholar-Athlete of the Year, joining former women's golfer Mary Kelly Mulcahy, who earned the honor in 2024-25.

G-MAC Scholar Athlete of the Year Winners from Findlay

Name	Sport	Year
Emily Mears-Bentley	Women's Swim	2025-26
Mary Kelly Mulcahy	Women's Golf	2024-25
Tim Stollings	Men's Swim	2023-24
Tim Stollings	Men's Swim	2021-22
Andrew Alten	Football	2017-18