North STL News

Mattia Nardi, a sophomore and the 2025 Triton Champion Award winner for the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) swimming program, has been named the recipient of the Stan and Terry Freerks Scholarship. The announcement was made on Saturday, October 25, 2025.

Stan and Terry Freerks are recognized as leaders in the St. Louis swimming community and have long supported UMSL. Their contributions are visible throughout the university campus, particularly within the athletic department.

The Stan and Terry Freerks Endowed Swimming Scholarship was established by the couple to support student-athletes involved in swimming at UMSL. According to a statement from UMSL, "Stan and Terry's passion for swimming led them to create the Stan and Terry Freerks Endowed Swimming Scholarship. The Freerks' passion and commitment to the swimming community of St. Louis and the UMSL swimming program personifies the UMSL Swimming Triton Champion Award."

Each year at the end of every swimming season, UMSL’s coaching staff selects one athlete for the Triton Champion Award. The award recognizes individuals who demonstrate trust, commitment, accountability, focus, energy, and effort both academically and athletically.

A representative from UMSL stated: "UMSL Swimming demands standards of trust, commitment and accountability. A Triton champion brings a consistent level of focus, energy and effort on a daily basis to his/her approach in the classroom and in the pool. This person has gone above and beyond to build trust with their teammates, commitment to academic and athletic excellence, and steady accountability for the program."