La Porte High School alum and distance runner extraordinaire Ryan Schoppe was honored as the male scholar-athlete of the year to headline the April 21 Oklahoma State University Athletics academic awards banquet. 
 
As the highest honor presented by the OSU Athletic Department to student-athletes, this award reflects exemplary performance in academic endeavors, athletic activities, and a commitment to community engagement. The award recognizes the exceptional character of the student-athlete, leadership and dedication to academic performance. 
 
Schoppe is the fourth Cowboy track and field student-athlete in the last seven years to earn the award, joining Cole Verble (2019), Joshua Anadu (2021) and Alex Maier (2024). In addition to this honor, he was also the NCAA Elite 90 Award winner for indoor track and field in 2022. 

A 2020 La Porte High School graduate, Schoppe received many honors during his high school career, including the 2019-20 Gatorade National Cross Country Runner of the Year after he won the 2019 6A state cross country title while posting the second fastest (5K) ever by a U.S. high school student.