Fitzgerald Wins Academic All-American Honors
Northwestern redshirt junior safety Robert Fitzgerald was named First Team Academic All-America by the College Sports Communicators.
Fitzgerald, who is studying learning and organizational change, is the first Wildcat football student-athlete to receive Academic All-America honors since Josh Priebe was named to the first team in 2023. He is the program’s fourth player to earn first-team recognition since 2012, joining Priebe, Tyler Gillikin (2020) and Patrick Ward (2012).
“Fitz is like an extension of the coaching staff on the field,” Dan and Susan Jones Family Head Football Coach David Braun told NUsports.com. “He’s playing with a clear mind. He’s playing fast. There’s no one in our program that reflects our values more than that young man.”
A Second Team All-Big Ten coaches selection in 2025, Fitzgerald recorded 115 total tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss, four pass breakups, a forced fumble, an interception and a fumble recovery in a breakout redshirt junior campaign.
Fitzgerald’s father, Matthew Fitzgerald, was diagnosed with ALS during his son’s senior year of high school. He passed away in 2022, just after Robert Fitzgerald reported to Evanston for fall camp as a first-year student.
“Seeing what he went through really changed my whole perspective on life,” Fitzgerald told NUsports.com. “Every day is a blessing, and you have to maximize every single day, every opportunity to get better. That really motivated me to push myself to be the best possible version of myself in all aspects of life, so I can support my mom and sister.”
Other Accolades
Lausch Honored With Teammate Award
Jack Lausch received the Paul Stevens Life Teammate Award, which is presented annually to the Northwestern baseball senior who best embodies the spirit of a Life Teammate — a leader on the field, in the locker room and in the community — as voted by teammates.
Lausch will wear No. 13 for the 2026 season, commemorating the life of Will Trautwein, son of former Northwestern baseball player John Trautwein and brother of former Wildcat Michael Trautwein. The Will to Live Foundation is dedicated to preventing teen suicide by improving the lives and the “will to live” of teenagers through mental health education and by encouraging them to recognize the love and hope that exists in one another.
In 2025, Lausch made 43 starts in 44 appearances, batting .268 with six home runs, nine doubles and 28 RBI in his first season with the baseball program. The Chicago native joined the baseball program after spending his first three years on campus playing football, appearing in 21 games and making 10 starts at quarterback.
Zimmer Wins Honda Award
Maddie Zimmer was named the Honda Sport Award winner for field hockey for the second consecutive year, becoming Northwestern’s first repeat winner in program history. She is now a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and Class of 2026 Honda Cup, which will be presented live Monday, July 27, at 7 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
Zimmer, an Academic All-Big Ten selection, posted a perfect GPA in the spring. A two-time National Field Hockey Coaches Association National Player of the Year, she earned NFHCA First Team All-American honors four times during her collegiate career. The midfielder also won two Big Ten Player of the Year awards and was a two-time NFHCA West Region Player of the Year.
The Hershey, Pennsylvania, native helped guide Northwestern to the 2025 national championship, tallying 27 points on 17 assists and five goals in her final season. A three-time NCAA Tournament MVP (2021, 2024, 2025), Zimmer was a key contributor to Northwestern’s three national titles, including repeat championships in 2024 and 2025.
Academic All-Big Ten
Nearly a quarter of the 140 Northwestern University athletes named to the fall Academic All-Big Ten team are enrolled in the School of Education and Social Policy, continuing a tradition of leadership on and off the field.
To earn Academic All-Big Ten distinction, an athlete must be in at least their second year at the institution and have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Field Hockey
Ashley Sessa, junior, learning and organizational change, Schwenksville, Penn.
Maddie Zimmer (BS25), grad student, sports administration, Hershey, Penn.
Football
Ricky Ahumaraeze, junior, learning and organizational change, Kansas City, Mo.
Anthony Birsa, junior, learning and organizational change, Plainfield, Ill.
Ryan Boe, sophomore, learning and organizational change, Batavia, Ill.
Callen Campbell, junior, learning and organizational change, Sault Sainte Marie, Mich.
Jackson Carsello (BS25), grad student, organizational dynamics, Northbrook, Ill.
Terrion Curry-Hicks, junior, learning and organizational change, Lexington, Kent.
Robert Fitzgerald, senior, learning and organizational change, Dallas, Texas
Brendan Flakes, senior, learning and organizational change, Orlando, Fla.
Jack Florentine, sophomore, learning and organizational change, Frankfort, Ill.
Joseph Himon II, senior, learning and organizational change, Little Rock, Ark.
Caleb Komolafe, junior, learning and organizational change, Katy, Texas
Landon Lauter, sophomore, learning and organizational change, Northbrook, Ill.
Camp Magee, junior, learning and organizational change, Orlando, Fla.
Troy Regovich, sophomore, learning and organizational change, Chesterland, Ohio
Dylan Roberts, junior, learning and organizational change, Phoenix, Ariz.
Anto Saka, senior, learning and organizational change, Baltimore, Md.
Patrick Schaller, sophomore, learning and organizational change, Northbrook, Ill.
Evan Smith, senior, learning and organizational change, Birmingham, Ala.
Braden Turner, senior, learning and organizational change, Mobile, Ala.
Drew Wagner, sophomore, learning and organizational change, Delafield, Wis.
Men’s Soccer
Italo Addimandi, junior, learning and organizational change, Miami, Fla.
Jason Gajadhar, senior, learning and organizational change, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Tyler Glassberg, junior, learning and organizational change, Melville, N.Y.
Nigel Prince, senior, learning and organizational change, Atlanta, Ga.
Jayvin Van Deventer, senior, learning and organizational change, Lee’s Summit, Mo.
Women’s Volleyball
Lauren Carter, senior, learning and organizational change, Winterset, Iowa
Buse Hazan, junior, learning and organizational change, Istanbul, Turkey
Gigi Navarrete, junior, learning and organizational change, Palos Heights, Ill.
Rylen Reid, senior, learning and organizational change, Rolling Meadows, Ill.
Lily Wagner, junior, secondary teaching, Germantown, Wis.
Drew Wright, junior, human development in context, Hermosa Beach, Calif.