INDIANAPOLIS- Great Midwest Faculty Athletic Representatives officially voted Findlay’s Emily Mears-Bentley as the 2026 G-MAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
 
The Great Midwest Scholar-Athlete of the Year is traditionally presented on an annual basis for an individual deemed to have completed the most outstanding record in athletics, scholarship, and leadership.
 
Mears-Bentley, a senior on the swimming & diving team, finished a historic career for the Oilers after becoming the first women’s national champion in program history, winning the 200 butterfly with a time of 1:58.93. She ended her time at Findlay with 24 all-American honors, 26 first-team all-conference honors, and four Swimmer of the Year honors.
 
The Leicester, England native also earned national recognition for her academic excellence. She is a three-time College Sport’s Communicators (CSC) Academic All-American and four-time CSCAA Scholar All-American. This past season, Mears-Bentley was awarded the prestigious NCAA Division II Academic All-American Team Member of the Year, awarded to just one male and one female in each division.
 
Emily Mears-Bentley becomes the fifth Oiler to win the award and second swimmer to win after Tim Stollings won in 2022 and again in 2024.