WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – The Wilkes University athletics department inducted the 2026 Class of Colonels Elite and Chi Alpha Sigma society members Thursday morning at the Marts Center as a part of the festivities of NCAA Division III Week.

The prestigious Colonels Elite is a society of student-athletes who show the same fire, determination, and success in the classroom as they show on the field. To be a member of the Colonels Elite, a student-athlete must have 60 credits and a cumulative grade point average of 3.75 or higher. Transfer student-athletes must have 60 college credits total, and 30 credits from Wilkes. The student-athlete must be in good moral character as determined by the athletic department and the student-athlete must currently be on a Wilkes roster.

This year, 29 student-athletes were inducted into the society, making up the 14th class in Colonels Elite history.

Chi Alpha Sigma was founded in 1996 by then DePauw University head football coach Nick Mourouzis. His goal was to provide outstanding student-athletes with an opportunity to become connected within a fraternal association that aligns their educational and athletic successes for a lifetime.

In order to be inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma (Beta Delta Chapter), a student-athlete must attend a four-year accredited college or university that is a member of the NCAA, NAIA, USCAA or NCCAA. The honoree also must achieve at least junior academic standing after their fourth semester or seventh quarter, as determined by the certifying institution, with a new minimum cumulative grade-point average of a 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) introduced in April 2024.

The 35-student class marks the third group inducted into Wilkes' Beta Delta chapter, which began in the Fall of 2023.

The 2026 Colonel Elite inductees are as follows:
Marcus Binner: Men's Volleyball
Emily Bramble: Field Hockey
Ashlyn Brown: Women's Soccer
Mia Butka: Softball
Grace Cobb: Women's Swimming & Diving
Gannon Decker: Baseball
Hannah Dennison: Women's Soccer
Grant Gerstner: Men's Soccer
Taylor Gollin: Women's Soccer
Mikaela Hughes: Women's Volleyball
Joseph Jackson: Men's Soccer
Julia Kapitula: Softball
Rachel Kiester: Women's Soccer
Jake Kloss: Men's Ice Hockey
Elena Krajain: Women's Soccer
Aaron Ladd: Men's Volleyball
Julia Lewis: Women's Cross Country/Women's Golf
Brett Martinez: Men's Cross Country
Daniel Nau: Men's Ice Hockey/Men's Golf
Duncan Rolleman: Men's Ice Hockey
Richard Rossi: Baseball
Jessica Shea: Women's Soccer
Matt Show: Baseball
Erin Somerville: Women's Soccer
Austin Sosnovik: Men's Lacrosse
Jack Thompson: Men's Cross Country
Brynn Ullerich: Women's Swimming & Diving
Ava Wahlers: Women's Volleyball
Samuel Winter: Men's Volleyball

The 2026 Chi Alpha Sigma Beta Chapter inductees are as follows:
Eli Becker - Men's Basketball
Jackson Brady - Men's Wrestling
Emily Bramble - Field Hockey
Mia Butka - Softball
Kensington Edmond - Women's Tennis
Ian Farbman - Men's Soccer
Luke Ferrarese - Men's Soccer
Grant Gerstner - Men's Soccer
Taylor Gollin - Women's Soccer
Morgan Hermanofski - Field Hockey
Sam Hopkins - Men's Golf
Aidan Hunter - Men's Volleyball
Chayce Hyndman - Women's Ice Hockey
Joseph Jackson - Men's Soccer
Kendra Kalp - Women's Volleyball
Julia Kapitula - Softball
Cortney Keim - Field Hockey
Owen Lewis - Men's Soccer/Men's Swimming and Diving
Nathan Loch - Baseball
Madison Maloney - Softball
Lucas Miller - Men's Wrestling
Daniel Nau - Men's Ice Hockey/Men's Golf
Brandon Powell - Men's Golf
Michael Rauch - Men's Lacrosse
Duncan Rolleman - Men's Ice Hockey
Jessica Shea - Women's Soccer
Matthew Show - Baseball
Conner Sklavounos - Men's Wrestling
Bradley Smith - Men's Lacrosse
Erin Somerville - Women's Soccer
Austin Sosnovik - Men's Lacrosse
Nathan Terski - Men's Ice Hockey
Brynn Ullerich - Women's Swimming and Diving
Ava Wahlers - Women's Volleyball
Jake Wanner - Football