Leo Nolles Honored with GLIAC Pat Riepma Postgraduate Scholarship

MARQUETTE, Mich. — Standout Northern Michigan University swimmer Leo Nolles has been named a recipient of the 2025-26 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Pat Riepma Postgraduate Scholarship. 

The honor, which awards every recipient, one male and one feminine, $5,000 in help to the graduate college of their selection, was voted on by the Faculty Athletic Representatives (FARs) of the GLIAC member establishments.

Nolles is without doubt one of the most adorned student-athletes to undergo the NMU swim and dive program. In his 4 seasons with Northern Michigan, the Maldonado, Uruguay native represented his nation within the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, is a 21x All-American, has earned three medals on the NCAA Championships, earned 19 GLIAC Championship medals with eight golds, and has each damaged and is presently holding quite a few NMU college and pool information.

At the time of writing, Leo has earned three CSC Academic All-District honors and one CSC Academic All-America honor, obtained a GLIAC Commissioner’s Award and GLIAC Swimmer of the Year honor in 2025, and earned CSCAA First-Team Scholar All-American honors. 

Along along with his dedication within the pool and coaching, Leo is devoted to giving again to the group, and reveals up for the Marquette group in some ways: he usually volunteers with the Special Olympics, the place he teaches and coaches specifically abled athletes in swimming and resistance coaching, is engaged with Northern Center for Lifelong Learning the place he shares his experiences as an Olympic athlete with actively engaged older adults, visits the Beacon House of Marquette to prepare dinner and socialize with households in tough conditions, volunteers on the Marquette Marathon with help stations, volunteers to work at NMU sporting occasions, and helped rake leaves at Marquette Elementary School along with his teammates. 

Leo can be returning to Northern Michigan University to pursue a Master’s of Science in Exercise Science.

Nolles is now simply the third student-athlete from Northern Michigan to obtain this scholarship: Stephanie Howe of the cross nation group through the 2005/06 college 12 months, and Nathan Rotundo of the swimming and diving group through the 2018/19 college 12 months. 

Follow this link for all things Pat Riepma Postgrad Scholarship Information.

 

---

The GLIAC Postgraduate Scholarship is known as after former Northwood University Athletic Director and head soccer coach Pat Riepma who handed away in July of 2015 after a prolonged and brave battle with most cancers. Pat spent over 21 years at Northwood and was the all-time winningest coach in soccer historical past in addition to the very long time Athletic Director. While his achievements on the sphere and on behalf of the athletic division are spectacular, Pat can be endlessly remembered for the individual he was. Pat was a passionate, religious man who impressed 1000’s of individuals even earlier than he turned sick. While Pat is gone, his mantra of “Go MAD”- Go Make a Difference, will reside on.