Chi Alpha Sigma

RIVER FALLS, Wis. – Chi Alpha Sigma named former Saint John's University All-American defensive lineman Zach Frank '25 (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial) as the National College Athlete Honor Society's 2025-26 Male Scholar Athlete of the Year on Tuesday, Aug. 25.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.) cross country/track and field student-athlete Elle Marsyla was the female honoree.

The Chi Alpha Sigma National Scholar Athlete of the Year award recognizes student-athletes from one men's sport and one women's sport who have each demonstrated academic and athletic achievement, as well as service and leadership both on-campus and in the community. Nominees must be junior or senior Chi Alpha Sigma inductees who have maintained a minimum of a 3.40 cumulative grade-point average (GPA) throughout their collegiate careers and demonstrated how their experiences as scholar-athletes have influenced and empowered them to be successful after graduation.

Of the eight recipients since the award was created for the 2018-19 academic year, Frank is the third from the NCAA Division III level and second from the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC). The full list of male honorees is below. 

Saint Benedict graduate and national-champion distance runner Fiona Smith '24 was the Chi Alpha Sigma Female Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2022-23.

Frank was also nominated for the Division III Commissioners' Association (DIIICA) Male Student-Athlete of the Year by the MIAC on Aug. 12.

"Zach and Elle represent everything the Scholar Athlete of the Year award was created to celebrate," said Kellen Wells-Mangold, executive director of the National College Athlete Honor Society. "Their accomplishments in competition and in the classroom are exceptional, but what truly distinguishes them is how they have used their talents and experiences to lead, serve others and prepare to make an impact well beyond their collegiate careers. We are incredibly proud to recognize them as this year's honorees."

Frank was a three-time All-American, three-time All-Region selection and three-time All-MIAC honoree. He was voted the 2025 MIAC Mike Stam Award recipient as the top lineman in the conference last season after he led the Johnnies in tackles for loss (17.0), sacks (13.0), and quarterback hurries (7) in 12 games. Frank ended his SJU career ranked fifth in program history in sacks (28.5) and ninth in tackles for loss (40.0).

His work in the classroom led to five Dean's List appearances, three Academic All-MIAC and College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District nods, two CSC Academic All-America selections and induction into both Chi Alpha Sigma and the National Football Foundation (NFF) Hampshire Honor Society. 

In the community, Frank helped Saint John's raise nearly $250,000 for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital during his playing career. He also volunteered annually with the Kids Fighting Hunger food drive and donated his time while studying abroad in London to participate in a service internship with Boxing Futures, where he helped facilitate an outreach program for at-risk youth. 

Those experiences inspired Frank to co-found the Johnnies and Bennies in Community (JBIC) campus organization in 2025. JBIC participates in community service with local organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, Feed My Starving Children and local elderly groups. He also created a mentorship program in 2024 at a local elementary school where 40 SJU student-athlete mentors spend an hour at the school twice a week.



"We started the club because a few of my teammates and I felt that we could do more in the community," Frank said. "We connected with the principal of a local elementary school and set up a program where we visited the elementary school weekly and spent time with children who needed mentoring and/or just a positive influence in their lives."

All-Time Chi Alpha Sigma Male Scholar Athletes of the Year
2018-19: Cole Rosenberger, Johns Hopkins (Md.), Soccer
2019-20: Andreas Vazaios, North Carolina State, Swimming and Diving
2020-21: Kieran Mullins, Rutgers, Lacrosse
2021-22: Eric Knowles, North Carolina State, Swimming and Diving
2022-23: Trent Hidlay, North Carolina State, Wrestling
2023-24: Will Kelly, St. Olaf, Cross Country/Track and Field
2024-25: Cedric Drenth, Wayne State (Mich.), Tennis
2025-26: Zach Frank, Saint John's, Football

The National College Athlete Honor Society, Inc. is a registered non-profit organization that was founded in 1996. Chi Alpha Sigma works with state chapters of four-year institutions to recognize college student-athletes who excel in their sport, the classroom and the community. Chi Alpha Sigma is certified by the Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS) and is a multi-time recipient of GuideStar's Platinum Seal of Transparency.