Cornerstone's Blake Stewart Named NAIA Emil S. Liston Award Winner

Kansas City, Mo. – The NAIA is excited to announce the 2025 National Awards Day winners, honoring student-athletes, athletics personnel, and sports teams from across the association. The winners are celebrated for their dedication, exemplary character, and extraordinary accomplishments both on and off the field.

For the first time since 2020 and the fourth time ever, the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) saw a student-athlete from a member institution earn the Emil S. Liston Award. The award, named in honor of the NAIA's first executive secretary and the prime mover behind the men's basketball tournament, the Emil Liston Scholarship Award recognizes one junior men's and one junior women's basketball student-athlete who has shown high athletic and academic achievement.

Cornerstone Men's Basketball player, Blake Stewart, was named the male recipient by the NAIA earlier today. Rising from the junior varsity ranks to a starting role, Blake Stewart's tenacity and determination have established him as a leader on the Cornerstone University (Mich.) basketball team.

After dedicating countless hours to refining his skills beyond scheduled practices, Blake quickly emerged as a driving force behind the team's two consecutive conference championship titles. For his efforts, Blake was named a WHAC All-Conference performer in 2025 and will serve as one of the team's captains in the upcoming season.

Away from the court, Blake demonstrates the same level of discipline and excellence in his business studies. With a 3.92 GPA, Blake has been recognized as a CSC Academic All-District, a Daktronics Scholar-Athlete, and a two-time WHAC Academic honoree. In his final year of athletic eligibility, Blake plans to continue his education by pursuing a master's degree.

See all of the 2025 NAIA National Awards Day winners here.