University of Northern Iowa Athletics
UNI Athletics celebrates October 2026 Student-Athletes of the Month
10/13/2026 11:00:00 AM | General, Men's Golf, Women's Soccer, Women's Volleyball, Cross Country
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — UNI Athletics is proud to honor four outstanding student-athletes with Athlete of the Month awards for October 2026.
The award recipients, voted on by members of UNI's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) for their achievements in the months of August and September, include Chase Lauman (men's cross country), Tanner Dinnebier (men's golf), Cassidy Hartman (volleyball) and Hailey Luedtke (women's soccer).
Chase Lauman - Men's Cross Country
A junior from Pella, Iowa, Lauman led the UNI men's cross country team with a 140th place finish in a crowded field in the men's gold invitational eight-kilometer race at Missouri's Gans Creek Classic in September, finishing with a career-best time of 24:39. Finishing with a 34-second time drop from his previous career-best mark set at the 2024 Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Championships, Lauman was named MVC Men's Runner of the Week on Sept. 28.
Tanner Dinnebier - Men's Golf
The winner of consecutive MVC Men's Golfer of the Week awards on Sept. 24 and 30, Dinnebier placed first at the SIUE Dolenc Invitational in a field of over 100 golfers, finishing with a three-round score of 203 to finish ten under par and win the tournament by one stroke to become UNI's first men's golfer to win an outright individual tournament title since 2017. Shooting three rounds of 60 for the first time in his career, and becoming the first Panther men's golfer to do so since Jordan Weber in 2007, Dinnebier also took second place individually at the Bluejay Invitational. He has led UNI in all four fall tournaments so far this season.
Cassidy Hartman - Volleyball
Reigning MVC Player of the Year Cassidy Hartman led the Panther offense with 204 total kills (4.3 per set) in the first 13 matches of the 2026 season, while also notching a .189 hitting percentage, 30 blocks, 161 total digs (3.4 per set) and five service aces. The North Liberty, Iowa native recorded ten matches with ten or more kills, including a career-high 31 terminations at South Dakota on Sept. 5. Hartman also notched seven double-double performances in August and September combined.
Hailey Luedtke - Women's Soccer
A Jackson, Wisconsin native, freshman Hailey Luedtke started eight of UNI soccer's first ten matches in goal, making her collegiate debut on Aug. 20 against Omaha, where she posted ten saves in her collegiate debut, the most by a Panther goalkeeper in their UNI debut since at least 2008. She again posted ten saves in Northern Iowa's 1-0 win over Belmont, UNI's first win of the season on Sept. 27 to earn her first career win and shutout, as well as MVC Goalkeeper of the Week honors.
UNI Athletics action can be followed all year long on social media on Facebook (UNI Athletics), X (@UNIAthletics) and on Instagram (@uniathletics). Schedules and rosters, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.
