ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference announced the final 2025-26 Jerome Kruse Award standings and Crown placed 4th for the second best finish in school history.
The award, named in honor of long-time Northwestern College (Wis.) and Martin Luther College athletic director Jerome Kruse, travels to the college with the most points accumulated by the place finishes of the college's athletic teams in the final standings of 18 conference sponsored sports.
The Polars took 4th with 68.5 points and won the football, women's indoor track and field, and women's outdoor track and field championships. Crown fell one point short of Bethany Lutheran in a close race between the top few schools in the UMAC.
2025-26 KRUSE AWARD STANDINGS
| School |
MXC |
WXC |
FB |
MS |
WS |
VB |
MG |
WG |
MB |
WB |
MITR |
WITR |
BB |
SB |
MT |
WT |
MOTR |
WOTR |
Total |
Final |
| Bethany Lutheran College |
3 |
1 |
x |
6 |
6 |
5 |
6 |
|
4.5 |
7 |
4 |
2 |
6.5 |
6.5 |
4 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
69.5 |
3rd |
| Crown College |
6 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
4.5 |
2 |
5 |
7 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
7 |
68.5 |
4th |
| Martin Luther College |
4 |
4 |
1.5 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
6 |
6 |
1.5 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
7 |
6 |
61 |
5th |
| North Central University |
1 |
x |
x |
2 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
|
7 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
1.5 |
1 |
x |
x |
3 |
1 |
28.5 |
7th |
| University of Minnesota Morris |
2 |
2 |
1.5 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
6 |
6 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
x |
1 |
2 |
3 |
50.5 |
6th |
| University of Northwestern |
5 |
6 |
3 |
5 |
7 |
7 |
5 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6.5 |
4 |
5 |
1 |
4 |
78.5 |
2nd |
| University of Wisconsin-Superior |
7 |
3 |
x |
7 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
4 |
1 |
5 |
7 |
5 |
6.5 |
5 |
4 |
6 |
6 |
5 |
89.5 |
1st |
For the full UMAC release visit:
https://umacathletics.com/news/2026/5/18/general-uw-superior-wins-2025-26-umac-kruse-award.aspx
