MADISON, Wis.--The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) office announced the 2020 WIAC Max Sparger Men's Ice Hockey Scholar-Athlete Award has been given to men's hockey assistant captain Jake Bresser (Sr. – Eau Claire, WI/Memeorial).
While double-majoring in accounting and finance, Bresser earned the American Hockey Coaches Association Krampade All-American Scholar in 2019, has been recognized to the UWEC Dean's List for many semesters, and has maintained a 3.67 GPA.
Bresser has spent many hours volunteering with youth hockey, the Boys & Girls Club of Eau Claire, and has helped with tax filings for low income families. He was recently named as a All-WIAC first-team recipient and currently leads the Blugolds with 33 points (16g, 7a).
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. He oversaw the transition of the conference from NAIA to full NCAA membership. Sparger arrived at UW-Stout in 1959 and served the institution in a variety of capacities, including an assistant football and basketball coach, head wrestling coach and head football coach. He served as UW-Stout's athletics director from 1969-71 and was inducted into the WIAC Hall of Fame in 2012.
In order to be nominated for the scholar-athlete award, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.50 grade point average. In addition, she must be in her last year of competition, or on schedule to graduate this academic year, and have competed for a minimum of two years.