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| Photo by Ryan Coleman, d3photography.com |
UW-River Falls record-setting quarterback Kaleb Blaha is the recipient of the 2025 Gagliardi Trophy, presented by Stearns Bank. Blaha becomes the first ever winner of Division III’s most prestigious award from River Falls. He leads the Falcons into Sunday’s Stagg Bowl in Canton, Ohio, at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, Jan. 5.
Blaha is the 19th quarterback to win the Gagliardi Trophy in the 33-year history of the award. He is the first UW-River Falls player to win the award, and the third member of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference to do so.
Of the 42 voters, nearly 70% percent had Blaha as their top pick.
Curry College (Mass.) record setting running back, Diamonte “Montie” Quinn was second in voting. Quinn leads the nation in rushing yards (2,446); rushing touchdowns (27); rushing yards per game (222.4); rushing yards per carry (9.82); and total points scored (168) all in just 11 games this season. Quarterback Nick Semptimphelter from John Carroll was the D3football.com Fan Vote winner.
Kaleb Blaha's first reaction and the team's response to him winning the Gagliardi Trophy! #d3fb pic.twitter.com/0fcAvVMV1V
— D3football.com (@d3football) January 2, 2026
Blaha beat out other finalists Montie Quinn of Curry, Albert Rundell of Bethel, Jack Curtis of Carleton and Johns Hopkins quarterback Bay Harvey.
The Gagliardi Trophy, given annually since 1993, is awarded to the most outstanding NCAA Division III football player and recognizes excellence in athletics, academics and community service. The award is named after John Gagliardi, Saint John's legendary Hall of Fame football coach who passed away at the age of 91 in 2018. John retired in 2012 with 489 career victories, the most in college football history.
Stearns Bank’s longtime CEO Norm Skalicky and Gagliardi were great friends and admirers of one another. Both became legends in their respective fields - not just because of their success, but because of how they looked uniquely upon their work.
The all-time winners:
All-time Gagliardi Trophy winnersMount Union players have won the Gagliardi Trophy seven times, as recently as 2014, while North Central and Saint John's players have won four times apiece. Here's the full list: |
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| Year | Player | Pos. | School |
| 2025 | Kaleb Blaha | QB | UW-River Falls |
| 2024 | Luke Lehnen | QB | North Central (Ill.) |
| 2023 | Luke Lehnen | QB | North Central (Ill.) |
| 2022 | Ethan Greenfield | RB | North Central (Ill.) |
| 2021 | Blaine Hawkins | QB | Central |
| 2020 | No trophy awarded | ||
| 2019 | Broc Rutter | QB | North Central (Ill.) |
| 2018 | Jackson Erdmann | QB | St. John's |
| 2017 | Brett Kasper | QB | UW-Oshkosh |
| 2016 | Carter Hanson | LB | St. John's |
| 2015 | Joe Callahan | QB | Wesley |
| 2014 | Kevin Burke | QB | Mount Union |
| 2013 | Kevin Burke | QB | Mount Union |
| 2012 | Scottie Williams | RB | Elmhurst |
| 2011 | Michael Zweifel | WR | Dubuque |
| 2010 | Eric Watt | QB | Trine |
| 2009 | Blaine Westemeyer | OL | Augustana |
| 2008 | Greg Micheli | QB | Mount Union |
| 2007 | Justin Beaver | RB | UW-Whitewater |
| 2006 | Josh Brehm | QB | Alma |
| 2005 | Brett Elliott | QB | Linfield |
| 2004 | Rocky Myers | SS | Wesley |
| 2003 | Blake Elliott | WR/RET | St. John's |
| 2002 | Dan Pugh | RB | Mount Union |
| 2001 | Chuck Moore | RB | Mount Union |
| 2000 | Chad Johnson | QB | Pacific Lutheran |
| 1999 | Danny Ragsdale | QB | Redlands |
| 1998 | Scott Hvistendahl | WR/P | Augsburg |
| 1997 | Bill Borchert | QB | Mount Union |
| 1996 | Lon Erickson | QB | Illinois Wesleyan |
| 1995 | Chris Palmer | WR | St. John's |
| 1994 | Carey Bender | RB | Coe |
| 1993 | Jim Ballard | QB | Mount Union |