Andre Coleman '94 finished his collegiate athletic career as one of the most decorated athletes in the history of the North Central College men's track and field program, owning 10 NCAA Division III All-America certificates, 10 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) individual and relay championships and three school records.
While he remains proud of the individual accolades, Coleman made his decision to attend North Central based on the fact that he had an opportunity to contribute as part of a successful team. His efforts played a lead role in the Cardinals' four straight CCIW team championships and the 1994 outdoor national crown, won on North Central's home track in his final meet.
"I wanted to go to a place where the team was a contender," he says. "That was true all the years I was there. I didn't think about being an All-American or anything like that. I just wanted to go someplace where I would have the opportunity to compete at the conference and national level.
"North Central had a very good mix of a good athletic program and a good academic program. That was something I was definitely interested in, and it turned out to be a great place and a great experience."
Right away, Coleman began to take his place as one of the team's top sprinters, winning a CCIW title in the 200-meter dash and earning All-America honors as a member of the 1,600-meter relay both indoors and outdoors as a freshman. He repeated as an All-American in the 1,600 relay indoors as a sophomore, while also contributing to a Drake Relays championship in the same event and winning the 100-meter dash at the CCIW meet.
As a junior, he earned his first All-America honors in the 200- and 400-meter dashes as well as the indoor and outdoor 1,600 relays. He also won the 200, 400, and 400 and 1,600 relays at the CCIW Championships to earn Most Outstanding Performer honors. He repeated as champion in the same four events at the 1994 CCIW Championships, setting a still-standing meet record of 21.1 seconds in the 200.
As part of a team that placed in the top 10 at every indoor and outdoor national championship meet during his four years, Coleman relished the opportunity to be part of a program where the quest for excellence ran parallel to the pure enjoyment of the sport.
"It was really laid back," he recalls. "Everybody bought into (head coach
Al Carius') philosophy of 'Run for Fun and Personal Bests.' It was a lot of fun.
"We had people who were in other sports who, because we were having so much fun, decided to come out and join track and field. Because it was fun and, at the same time, people were serious about doing well, I think people gravitated to that type of atmosphere and wanted to be a part of it."
In his final collegiate meet, the 1994 Division III Outdoor Championships at Jay and Dot Buikema Track, Coleman and his teammates engaged in a fierce battle with the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse for the team trophy. Contributing a sixth-place showing in the 200 and anchoring the 1,600 relay team to a sixth-place finish despite colliding with another runner shortly after receiving the baton, he helped the Cardinals secure a 75-74 victory to claim the program's third national title. North Central's point total from that meet remains the second-highest point total ever achieved by a Cardinal squad at a national meet.
"It was a very special feeling for me," Coleman says. "It was the culmination of a very successful career, and it felt really good to end that way knowing it was something we had tried to do as a team since the first year I got there."
The owner of school records in the 200 (21.1), 400 (47.60) and 1,600 relay (3:11.90) upon graduation, Coleman continues to apply a balance of competition and fun in his daily life.
"It's part of every day for me, whether it's at work or anything else," he says. "I'm a very competitive person, and the environment at North Central fed that, but always from the perspective of having fun along the way."
