The American Association of Professional Baseball named a Prairie Wolf-turned-Saltdog its 2026 Athletic Trainer of the Year in September. Matt Honerman (‘13) has been the Lincoln Saltdogs’ head athletic trainer for the last 10 years.
“I have put in a lot of hours and hard work to make this a place where our athletes can feel like they are well taken care of, can get the care they need to get back after injury, and can focus on doing what they love,” Honerman told saltdogs.com.
News of Honerman’s award was met with smiles on Nebraska Wesleyan University’s campus.
“I knew Matt had the passion for this work the first day we met,” said Jason Ensrud, NWU’s assistant athletic director for sports medicine. Honerman was on campus for a baseball recruiting visit in 2009, and NWU’s baseball coach introduced him as “Matt from North Platte.”
“Matt and I talked athletic training and baseball that day,” Ensrud said.”And that conversation has never stopped.”
Athletic Training Program Director Samantha Wilson is likewise grateful for NWU’s ongoing connection with Honerman. She called him “an extraordinary clinician who exemplifies what an NWU athletic training education strives to produce.” Wilson said, “He gives back by serving as clinical site supervisor for our graduate students and by visiting our classes to share his knowledge and experience in sports medicine.”
Said Ensrud, “I can’t think of anyone more deserving of this award than Matt.”