Elaina Plonis, a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, has been awarded the 2026 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Women’s Swimming & Diving Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete Award.
Plonis, who is from Macomb, Michigan, is pursuing majors in physics and astrophysics along with minors in mathematics and computer science. She maintains a 3.95 grade point average and has earned recognition as a member of the 2024 College Swimming Coaches Association of America NCAA Division III Scholar All-America First Team. She is also a three-time WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll honoree, recipient of academic scholarships, member of the Cosby Honors College, and has been named to UW-Eau Claire’s Dean’s List several times.
In her athletic career, Plonis is a five-time individual conference champion and two-time relay first-place finisher. She became the third swimmer in WIAC history to win four consecutive 200-yard butterfly titles. Additionally, she contributed to the victorious 400-yard medley relay team for two years and qualified for the NCAA in this event in 2024. Plonis holds the school record in the 100-yard butterfly and was part of conference championship teams in both 2023 and 2024.
Beyond athletics, Plonis is active on campus as a member of the Society of Physics Students and has conducted research on white dwarf star modeling. She presented her findings at the American Astronomical Society’s 2025 Winter Meeting. Plonis has served as a co-mentor for first-year students in the Cosby Honors program and supported students through participation in Upward Bound.
Other nominees for this year’s scholar-athlete award included Madeline Weber from UW-La Crosse; Brianna Wesenberg from UW-Oshkosh; Anna Scheglowski from UW-Stevens Point; and Hannah Gault from UW-Whitewater.
The WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award is named after Judy Kruckman, who was Assistant Commissioner for WIAC from 1996-98 and previously Commissioner of the Wisconsin Women’s Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WWIAC) between October 1984 and September 1996. Kruckman also served as women’s athletics director at UW-Eau Claire from 1974 to 1984 and was among those who helped establish WWIAC in 1971. She joined the WIAC Hall of Fame in 2012.
Nominees for this award must have at least a 3.50 GPA, be in their final year of competition or set to graduate that year, and have competed for at least two years. The selection process considers academic achievements, athletic accomplishments, involvement on campus, participation in organizations, and community service projects.
The UW-Eau Claire Blugolds, representing Eau Claire’s university community through more than two dozen varsity sports teams for men and women, serve both campus members and local residents via collegiate athletics programs across various facilities statewide. The Blugolds operate under the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire athletics department with a history that includes enshrining hundreds into their Hall of Fame since its inception.
