Fr. Wilfred Theisen Award

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John's University graduate Brayden Slavik '26 (Green Isle, Minn./Chaska) was named the recipient of the 2026 Fr. Wilfred Theisen Student-Athlete of the Year Award, sponsored by the J-Club, on Monday, Aug. 31. 

The award recognizes an SJU varsity, senior student-athlete (or two) who has excelled in the classroom and in their sport.

Slavik will be honored on Homecoming Saturday – Oct. 17 – at the J-Club Hall of Honor banquet. The dinner and enshrinement ceremony begins at 5:15 p.m. in Guild Hall (Old Gym). A Homecoming Celebration social will take place outside the venue following the Johnnies' football game against Concordia in Clemens Stadium prior to the dinner and program. 

Registration is $75 per person before Oct. 11 ($100 per person after) and includes dinner and beverages. Children ages 6-12 are $35 and those ages six-and-under are free. All proceeds go to the J-Club to support SJU athletics.

To register to attend, click here.

Slavik ended his decorated career with a third-place finish in the 1,650-yard freestyle - the best podium placement by a Johnnie at the NCAA Division III Championships since 2005 - with an MIAC- and program-record time of 15:26.52, which was nearly six full seconds faster than his 15:32.16 that he used to win his third-straight MIAC title in the event. The All-America honor was the second for Slavik, who was named the MIAC Men's Swimmer of the Year for the second-straight season in 2025-26 and earned All-America honorable mention with a 15th-place finish in the event at last year's NCAA Championships.

He was a nine-time MIAC champion (eight individual and one relay) and a 16-time All-MIAC (top three at the conference meet) honoree. His eight individual MIAC crowns tied the program record owned by Matt Zelen '99.

Slavik holds the championship meet-, SJU- and MIAC-record in the 1,650-yard freestyle and set SJU records for the 400-yard individual medley, 500-yard freestyle, 1,000-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke. He was also a member of two SJU-record relays (800-yard freestyle and 400-yard medley) and graduated with three SJU freshmen records in the 500-, 1,000-, and 1,650-yard freestyles. 

The 12-time MIAC swimmer of the week will serve as an assistant coach for the Johnnies during the 2026-27 season.

Theisen '52 taught physics at SJU for 47 years and was named professor emeritus upon his retirement in 2005. He was a former SJU faculty representative to the MIAC and a treasurer of the J-Club. Theisen received the J-Club Distinguished Service Award in 2019, six years after the Student-Athlete of the Year Award was established in his honor.

SJU varsity coaches provide the award's nominations for the Fr. Wilfred Theisen Award and the J-Club Board makes the selection annually.

Founded in 1959, the J-Club is a dues-based booster organization of former Johnnie student-athletes, parents and fans, and plays a key role in support of the SJU varsity programs, intramurals and club sports. 

Past Fr. Wilfred Theisen Student-Athlete of the Year Award Recipients
2013 - Dennis Granath '13 (Golf)
2014 - Michael Coborn '14 (Soccer)
2015 - J.T. Ford '15 (Football)
2016 - Alex Niederloh '16 (Soccer)/Sam Sura '16 (Football)
2017 - Mack Farley '17 (Golf)/Carter Hanson '17 (Football)
2018 - Sam Olson '18 (Golf)
2019 - Will Gillach '19 (Football)/David Stokman '18 (Basketball)
2020 - Ben Bartch '20 (Football)
2021 - Tanner Dufault '21 (Hockey)/Brady Labine '21 (Track)
2022 - Maguire Petersen '22 (Track & Field)
2023 - Lloyd Young '23 (Cross Country/Track & Field)
2024 - Kevin Arthur (Track & Field)/Nate Loxtercamp '24 (Golf)
2025 - Ryan Thissen '24 (Basketball)
2026 - Brayden Slavik '26 (Swimming & Diving)