Nine K-State Golfers Named to 2026 Spring Academic All-Big 12 Team
Jun 30, 2026 | Men's Golf, Women's Golf
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Five Kansas State men's golfers and four from the women's squad were named to the 2026 Spring Academic All-Big 12 team, the conference office announced Tuesday.
Coupled with six members on last year's team, the men's squad posted at least five Academic All-Big 12 honorees in consecutive seasons since doing so in three-straight seasons from 2017 through 2019. The women's team has recorded at least three academic conference honors each year since 2019.
The K-State men's golfers who earned 2026 Academic All-Big 12 honors consisted of sophomore Fionn Dobbin (Communication Studies), seniors Shea Harmeson (Management), JP Roller (Management) and Ben Stoller (Marketing), as well as junior Tyler Strong (Business). The women's golfers to pick up the honor included junior Julia Ballester Barrio (Kinesiology), sophomore Nanami Nakashima (Communication Studies), junior Alenka Navarro (Athletic Training & Rehabilitation Sciences) and senior Noa van Beek (Marketing).
In addition to her second-straight Academic All-Big 12 honor, Ballester Barrio was also awarded the conference's Dr. Gerald Lage Award, which goes to a student-athlete who has completed at least 90 hours with a cumulative GPA of 3.80.
Joining Ballester Barrio with multiple Academic All-Big 12 honors were Navarro – a two-time honoree – and van Beek – a three-time academic all-conference performer. On the men's side, Roller, Stoller and Strong each earned the nod for a second time in their careers.
To be eligible for the Academic All-Big 12 team, student-athletes must maintain a 3.20 GPA or higher, either cumulative or over the two previous semesters, and must have participated in 20% of their team's scheduled contests. Freshmen are not eligible, while transfers in their first year of academic residence are eligible. Senior student-athletes who have participated for a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation are also eligible.
The conference also announced its Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team on Tuesday, as three women's golfers – Stalee Fields, Casey Kang and Keen Visavapattamawan – earned the honor, while two men's golfers – Oliver Toyer and Ville Virkkala – picked up the award.
Eligibility for the Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team requires a student-athlete to be a new, first-time or incoming freshman who has completed 24 semester hours of non-remedial coursework and achieved a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00. The student-athlete must have participated in at least one of their team's scheduled contests and must have been a member of their respective team for their sport's entire NCAA Championship segment.
Coupled with six members on last year's team, the men's squad posted at least five Academic All-Big 12 honorees in consecutive seasons since doing so in three-straight seasons from 2017 through 2019. The women's team has recorded at least three academic conference honors each year since 2019.
The K-State men's golfers who earned 2026 Academic All-Big 12 honors consisted of sophomore Fionn Dobbin (Communication Studies), seniors Shea Harmeson (Management), JP Roller (Management) and Ben Stoller (Marketing), as well as junior Tyler Strong (Business). The women's golfers to pick up the honor included junior Julia Ballester Barrio (Kinesiology), sophomore Nanami Nakashima (Communication Studies), junior Alenka Navarro (Athletic Training & Rehabilitation Sciences) and senior Noa van Beek (Marketing).
In addition to her second-straight Academic All-Big 12 honor, Ballester Barrio was also awarded the conference's Dr. Gerald Lage Award, which goes to a student-athlete who has completed at least 90 hours with a cumulative GPA of 3.80.
Joining Ballester Barrio with multiple Academic All-Big 12 honors were Navarro – a two-time honoree – and van Beek – a three-time academic all-conference performer. On the men's side, Roller, Stoller and Strong each earned the nod for a second time in their careers.
To be eligible for the Academic All-Big 12 team, student-athletes must maintain a 3.20 GPA or higher, either cumulative or over the two previous semesters, and must have participated in 20% of their team's scheduled contests. Freshmen are not eligible, while transfers in their first year of academic residence are eligible. Senior student-athletes who have participated for a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation are also eligible.
The conference also announced its Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team on Tuesday, as three women's golfers – Stalee Fields, Casey Kang and Keen Visavapattamawan – earned the honor, while two men's golfers – Oliver Toyer and Ville Virkkala – picked up the award.
Eligibility for the Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team requires a student-athlete to be a new, first-time or incoming freshman who has completed 24 semester hours of non-remedial coursework and achieved a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00. The student-athlete must have participated in at least one of their team's scheduled contests and must have been a member of their respective team for their sport's entire NCAA Championship segment.
– k-statesports.com –
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How to follow the Cats: For complete information on K-State Athletics, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the athletics department's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Golf
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/ Women's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Women's Golf
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