MADISON, Wis. - University of Wisconsin-River Falls' Jack Leifker has been named the recipient of the 2026 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Men's Basketball Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete Award.
 
A senior from Blaine, Minn. (Spring Lake Park), Leifker is pursuing a master's degree in business administration strategic leadership and sustains a 3.963 grade point average. He earned a bachelor's degree in marketing. Leifker secured a spot on the 2024-25 NCAA Division III Academic All-District® Men's Basketball Team, selected by the College Sports Communicators. He is a two-time member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches Honors Court, receiving distinction in 2024 and 2025. Leifker is a four-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll and has been recognized on UW-River Falls' Dean's List numerous semesters. 
 
Leifker is a three-time All-WIAC selection, earning honorable mention status in 2025 and 2026, after receiving first team honors in 2024. A team captain, he started 73-of-74 contests in the last three years and scored 1,115 career points.
 
He has been a member of UW-River Falls Athletes Intervarsity all five years and serves as a valet supervisor for multiple hotels in the Twin Cities.
 
UW-Oshkosh's Reed Seckar (Sr., Oshkosh, Wis./Oshkosh North) and UW-Whitewater's Joey Berezowitz (Sr., Burlington, Wis./Burlington) were also nominated for this year's 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. 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, 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.