BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The Patriot League announced its 2026 All-Academic Team on Thursday and the Navy women's rowing team was at the forefront of the release with Laura Fern Jones earning the title of Patriot League Women's Rowing Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The junior who rowed with the Mids' first varsity eight at last week's Patriot League Championship was honored for her spotless 4.0 grade point average as a chemistry major at the Naval Academy.

Overcoming an injury-plagued sophomore campaign, Jones came back in 2026 on a mission and appeared in all five regular season competitions with either Navy's first or second varsity eight crew. She was honored during the regular season as a member of Navy's victorious V8+ on March 31 as the Patriot League Boat of the Week. At last Friday's Patriot League Championship regatta, Jones rowed with the Mids' V8+ from the second seat and played pivotal role in Navy placing first in its morning qualifying heat race and later coming in fourth in the grand final. In medal contention for nearly the entire 2,000-meter grand final race, Navy's first varsity was edged by MIT in the battle for third place at the finish line by 0.715 seconds, 6:30.845 to 6:31.560.

Off the water, the chemistry major from Kinston, North Carolina has a perfect 4.0 GPA and ranks top five in all three of the United States Naval Academy's meritocracy rankings for the Class of 2027; the Academic Order of Merit, the Military Order of Merit and Overall Order of Merit. Additionally, Jones will participate in the exclusive Trident Scholar program during the 2026-27 academic year with a focus on The Physiological Roles of Class 3, L,D-Transpeptidases toward Combating Tuberculosis.

These are the first Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year and All-Academic Team honors of Jones' career. As a program, Navy women's rowing has now captured 11 Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year accolades from nine different student-athletes. Jones helps the program repeat as then-senior Tenlea Radack earned the honor in 2025.

All nine Patriot League women's rowing member institutions were represented on this year's Academic All-Patriot League Team. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology led the way with three student-athletes named to the squad, while Boston University, Bucknell, Colgate, Georgetown, Holy Cross, Lehigh, Loyola Maryland and Navy each had one selection.

To be eligible for the Scholar-Athlete of the Year award and the Academic All-Patriot League Team, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA and be a starter or key player in their sport. Freshmen or students in their first academic year at their school are not eligible for the honor. The awards are voted on by Patriot League women's rowing sports information contacts, who are not eligible to vote for their student-athletes.

Navy's Patriot League Women's Rowing Scholar-Athlete of the Year Recipients
Shaunnah Wark (2005)
Madeline Boe (2006)
Kerry Hannon (2009)
Jacqueline Penichet (2013)
Kathleen Heinbach (2015-16)
Megan Hanson (2018-19)
Hanna Prince (2021)
Tenlea Radack (2025)
Laura Fern Jones (2026)

2026 Patriot League Women's Rowing Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Laura Fern Jones, Navy, Jr., Kinston, North Carolina

2026 Women's Rowing Academic All-Patriot League Team
Ingrid Eshuis, Boston University
Kalena Gatesman, Bucknell
Stella Curcio, Colgate
Phoebe Opler, Georgetown
Ella Lynch-Bartek, Holy Cross
Grace Ioffe, Lehigh
Beata Turnquist, Loyola Maryland
Elizabeth Jackson, MIT
Madeleine Laws, MIT
Michelle Peng, MIT
Laura Fern Jones, Navy