KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics has announced their yearly national awards. Carroll College redshirt junior Henry Gross has been named the prestigious A.O. Duer Scholarship Award winner for 2026.
 
The NAIA National Awards honor those whose achievements have left a lasting mark on the association. From remarkable student-athletes to distinguished coaches and administrators, these recipients represent the highest standard of excellence in competition, academics, leadership, character, and service.
 
It comes as no surprise that yet another Carroll student-athlete has been bestowed the association's top individual honor. Year after year, Fighting Saints across every sport are recognized for their academic, civil, and on-field accomplishments.
 
Named in honor of the NAIA's former executive secretary, the A.O. Duer Scholarship Award recognizes one male and one female junior student-athlete who has excelled in scholarship, character, and citizenship.
 
Carroll is the only Frontier Conference institution to have a student-athlete earn the NAIA's top honor since the award's inception in 1967. Dating back to 2004, three Fighting Saints have won the award - Tyler Emmert ('04), 2026 Carroll Hall of Fame inductee Kathleen Mulligan Solly ('14), and Leah Esposito ('16).
 
On Wednesday morning, a fourth joined the exclusive club.
 
Henry Gross, a redshirt junior linebacker from Helena, was named the 2026 Male A.O. Duer Scholarship Award winner.

Gross has combined academic excellence, athletic success, and extraordinary campus involvement throughout his Carroll career. A leader of the Football team, Gross earned Honorable Mention All-Frontier Conference-West in 2025. The redshirt junior matched his career-high, finishing the year with 49.0 tackles, third on the team with 4.0 sacks and second on the team with 9.5 tackles-for-loss. 
 
Through two games in the '26 season, Gross is off to another stellar start. Entering the week, he has 12 total tackles, one pass break-up, three QB hurries, one forced fumble, and a pair of fumble recoveries.
 
"They couldn't have chosen a better person for this honor." Said Carroll Football Coach Troy Purcell  "What a winner in life. Henry truly exemplifies what this award is about - representing our program at the highest level on the field, in the classroom, and in the community. I'm so proud of his continuous growth and development as a young man, and it's just an honor to be able to both coach him and have the opportunity to learn from him as such a bright leader."

In the classroom, Gross is equally as impressive. A Biology major with a chemistry minor carrying a 3.99 cumulative GPA, Gross has earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-District recognition in each of the last two seasons, alongside being named an NAIA Daktronics Scholar-Athlete twice, and a two-time Frontier Academic All-Conference selection.
 
"Henry is a well-rounded young man with high moral standards and demonstrates empathy to all those he
encounters." said Dr. Chrissy Carpenter, Carroll's associate Professor of Chemistry and Pre-Health Advisor. "He sets an example for his peers and is a genuine joy to be around. Henry is articulate, compassionate, and dedicated to his future. He works well with others because he is calm, friendly, and approachable. He stays busy, and his work ethic and time management skills sets an example for
his peers and teammates."
 
A man of service, patience, willingness, and humility, Gross has a tremendous ability to tackle athletic and academic challenges with strong character and unwavering commitment, making him a strong leader at Carroll.
 
"Henry is an excellent role model for his peers in both his academic preparation and hard-working attitude." Said Dr. Caroline Pharr, Professor of Chemistry "He is truly just a lovely person who is deeply interested in science and wants to help others. He will be an excellent dentist some day and a strong
contributor to his community."

His leadership extends well beyond football as a Student-Athlete Advisory Council representative, president of the Carroll Pre-Dental Club, vice president of the Red Cross Club, treasurer of the Culture Club, and leader of the football program's Boys to Men initiative. Gross has also participated in a dental mission trip to the Nazareth Home for God's Children Orphanage in Sang, Ghana, while volunteering with Florence-Crittenton and numerous community service projects.
 
A respected leader, Gross will also serve on the NAIA National Association of Student-Athletes, representing the Frontier Conference.
 
"As the SAAC advisor, I have had the pleasure of watching Henry become a great leader, mentor and positive influence on those around him." Said Carroll Women's Basketball Coach Rachelle Sayers "His success on the field of play is only part of his story. Henry has spent countless hours serving the Helena community, his teammates as a team captain, our SAAC group as a voice for student athletes and doing Mission work abroad. He is everything you would want in a student-athlete as a representative of Carroll College athletics, and we are so blessed to have him a part of this campus community. His positivity, caring personality and commitment to being the best in all facets of his life are exactly the reasons was the best choice for this prestigious award."
 
Gross will be formally recognized by the NAIA on campus at Carroll at a date to be determined, as well as at the NAIA National Convention in San Antonio, Texas next spring.

---