Bayless, Ryan Honored As Jackie Robinson Community & Impact Award Campus Winners

ROSEMONT, Illinois -- The Big Ten Conference on Wednesday announced the 36 student-athletes selected as campus winners of the 2025-26 Jackie Robinson Community & Impact Award, while include Iowa's Ava Bayless (women's wrestling) and Will Ryan (track and field).

Now in its second year, the honor was created to recognize Big Ten student-athletes who strive to have a positive impact within their community in addition to excellence in competition.

From the collection of 36 local winners, two overall conference honorees will be selected and announced in the spring of 2026.  

In recognition of their achievement and as an expression of the conference’s appreciation, each of the 36 campus winners will receive a medal bearing the likeness of Jackie Robinson and the logo of the Big Ten Conference.

Dillan Fontus of Maryland Football and Nanea Estrella, a member of the Iowa Women's Wrestling team, were named the inaugural national winners last spring. Both will be hosted in Indianapolis next month and recognized on the field during the 2025 Discover Big Ten Football Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday, December 6 (8pm ET; FOX).

Jackie Robinson was a standout student-athlete at UCLA, where he was the school’s first four-sport letter winner, excelling in football, basketball, track and field, and baseball. Beyond his athletic prowess, he continues to be recognized and honored for his contributions off the field: integrating Major League Baseball and his lifelong commitment to social justice. He is the embodiment of the Big Ten's mission to develop strong student leaders, and we honor his legacy and core values of courage, determination, teamwork, persistence, integrity, citizenship, justice, commitment, and excellence. As Jackie famously said, “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.”

“It is our privilege and great honor to bestow this award in Jackie’s name upon these deserving Big Ten student-athletes and to express our appreciation for the support of the Jackie Robinson Foundation,” said Big Ten Conference Commissioner Tony Petitti.

Honorees were selected based on the following criteria:

• Demonstrated Impact: Significant and tangible contributions to community projects or causes, including measurable outcomes or positive changes resulting from their involvement.
• Collaboration and Teamwork: Ability to work effectively with others, including peers, organizations, and community members, to achieve common goals and enhance community impact.
• Consistency and Commitment: Ongoing and consistent participation in community service activities over an extended period of time.
• Visibility and Advocacy: Efforts to raise awareness and advocate for important groups or causes, leveraging their platform to promote positive change and engage others.

"The Big Ten Jackie Robinson Community & Impact Award celebrates Jackie’s legacy of excellence in community service,” said Sonya Pankey Robinson, Jackie’s first grandchild as well as Director and board member of the Jackie Robinson Foundation. "We are proud to recognize 36 outstanding men and women for the incredible impact they make in their community."

"Our student-athletes make significant contributions through competition, academics, and community impact,” said Big Ten Senior Vice President, Community & Impact, Omar Brown. “This award allows the Big Ten to recognize these efforts in improving communities, just as we do with their other athletic and academic achievements. Jackie Robinson embodies this award and our goal to honor student-athletes who positively affect others."

The Big Ten Conference’s commitment to athletics, academics and service goes back to the conference’s founding. Coupling the academic goals set forth by leaders of the charter members of the conference with their steadfast commitment to athletics, the conference instituted the Big Ten Medal of Honor in 1915, the first award to demonstrate support for the educational emphasis placed on intercollegiate athletics. It is awarded annually by each member institution to one male and one female student of the graduating class who has attained the greatest proficiency in scholarship and athletics.