Lieder Named WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award Winner

UW-Oshkosh senior Jarrett Lieder was chosen as the 2021 recipient of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Max Sparger Men's Swimming & Diving Scholar-Athlete Award.

Lieder, who owns a 3.93 grade-point average as a biology major, is the first UW-Oshkosh men's swimming & diving athlete to receive the award, which has been presented annually by the WIAC since 1986.

Lieder is a three-time WIAC champion, winning the 1,650-yard freestyle at the 2019 and 2020 league championships and adding a 500-yard freestyle title in 2020. He also finished second in the 500-yard freestyle at the 2019 conference meet and the 1,650-yard freestyle in 2018.

A two-year team captain, Lieder was selected UW-Oshkosh's Most Valuable Swimmer each of the last four seasons. He owns school individual records in the 200-yard freestyle, 500-yard freestyle, 1,000-yard freestyle 1,650-yard freestyle and 400-yard individual medley. Lieder was also a member of school-record setting performances in the 200-, 400- and 800-yard freestyle relays. He additionally holds the UW-Oshkosh Albee Hall record in the 1,000-yard freestyle.

Lieder, a graduate of Oshkosh North High School, is a three-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll and been acknowledged on UW-Oshkosh's Dean's List all seven semesters of his attendance.

Lieder has volunteered for Special Olympics, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, YMCA, National Alliance on Mental Illness while mentoring at a local elementary school. He has also worked as head lifeguard and co-manager at the Omro Family Aquatic Center.

Lieder's father, Craig Lieder, was UW-Oshkosh's winner of the 1995 WIAC Max Sparger Baseball Scholar-Athlete Award.

The WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award is named after Max Sparger, who served as commissioner of the Wisconsin State University Conference for 22 years from 1971-93.

To be nominated for the scholar-athlete award, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.50 grade point average. In addition, he must be in his last year of competition, or on schedule to graduate this academic year, and have competed for a minimum of two years. The award is based on academic achievements, athletics accomplishments and involvement in other campus activities, organizations, and community service projects.

Other nominees for this year's WIAC Max Sparger Men's Swimming & Diving Scholar-Athlete Award were UW-Eau Claire's Dane Detert and UW-Stevens Point's Jared Chatterton.

The WIAC also announced that UW-Oshkosh swimmers Jarod Falk and Emelia Smith were named to the league's All-Sportsmanship Team for the 2020-21 academic year.