Career Highlights: 1996 NCAA III Cross Country National Champion; three-time NCAA III All-American in cross country and eight-time All-American in track and field; member of the 1993 NCAA III Cross Country national championship team which set a record for lowest team point total (32 points); also a member of the 1994 and 1998 NCAA III Outdoor Track and Field national championship team; still holds NCC Freshman record in 10,000 meters; ran for the United States Junior World Championship Team which competed in Lisbon, Portugal.
Matt Brill ’97 applied to North Central “on a whim,” and graduated four years later as an 11-time NCAA III All-American in cross country and track and field.
“I had a relative in the Naperville area, so I applied to North Central just on happenstance,” he said. “It turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made.”
In his four-year cross country career, he was a three-time All-American. Brill was national runner-up in 1995, second only to fellow North Central Hall of Famer John Weigel ’96. The following year, Brill became the College’s sixth runner to capture an individual title with a time of 23:57 on the 8,000-meter course. His teams took second-place three times at the national meet (1994, ’95, ’96) and were also the 1993 national champions, setting a record for lowest team point total ever recorded (32).
Brill’s achievements were not limited to the fall season and cross country. He was an eight-time All-American in track and field, dominating the 5,000- and 10,000-meter events. As a freshman, Brill set a new school record in the 10,000 meters and earned a spot on the United States Junior Olympic Team after placing second at the Junior Nationals. His All-American performance in the 5,000 meters at the 1994 NCAA III Outdoor Track and Field Championships helped the Cardinals to their second national title. Brill was also a standout in the classroom, twice earning GTE Academic All-American honors.
Brill’s favorite recollection of his time at North Central College occurred outside the athletic arena.
“I remember meeting Dan Mayer ’94, who had numerous accomplishments and awards, talking with me following an orientation session before my freshman year,” Brill said. “Even with all of his success, he was the most humble person. I knew just from his attitude that North Central was a perfect fit for me.”
Upon graduation with a degree in international business in 1997, Brill ran competitively for several years.
