MADISON, Wis. - University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire's Elaina Plonis has been named the recipient of the 2026 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Women's Swimming & Diving Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete Award.
 
A senior from Macomb, Mich. (Eisenhower), Plonis is majoring in physics and astrophysics with minors in mathematics and computer science, and boasts a 3.95 grade point average. She was named to the 2024 College Swimming Coaches Association of America NCAA Division III Scholar All-America First Team. Plonis is a three-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll. She has received academic scholarships and is a member of the Cosby Honors College. Plonis has been recognized on UW-Eau Claire's Dean's List numerous semesters.
 
Plonis is a five-time individual conference champion and two-time relay first-place finisher. She is third swimmer in WIAC history to win four consecutive 200-yard butterfly titles. Plonis has been a member of the triumphant 400-yard medley relay team the past two years. She was an NCAA qualifier in the 400-yard medley relay in 2024. Plonis owns the school record in the 100-yard butterfly and helped her team win conference championships in 2023 and 2024.
 
Plonis is a member of the university's chapter of the Society of Physics Students and has performed research in white dwarf star modeling. She presented research findings at the American Astronomical Society's 2025 Winter Meeting. Plonis has served as a co-mentor of a group of 10 first-year students in the Cosby Honors program and assisted in the Upward Bound program.
 
Also nominated for this year's scholar-athlete award were: UW-La Crosse's Madeline Weber (Sr., Eau Claire, Wis./Eau Claire Memorial); UW-Oshkosh's Brianna Wesenberg (Sr., Ripon, Wis./Homeschool); UW-Stevens Point's Anna Scheglowski (Sr., Northfield, Minn./Northfield); and UW-Whitewater's Hannah Gault (Sr., Moline, Ill./Moline).

The WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award is named after Judy Kruckman who served as Assistant Commissioner for the WIAC from 1996-98. Prior to this appointment, she was Commissioner of the Wisconsin Women's Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WWIAC) from October, 1984 - September, 1996. Kruckman was the women's athletics director at UW-Eau Claire from 1974-84, and one of the original representatives to the WWIAC when it formed in 1971. She 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, she must be in her 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.