Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302

USTFCCCA All-Academic Individuals
USTFCCCA All-Academic Teams

July 22, 2020 - In recognition of its commitment to combining academic excellence with its sterling record of success in competition, the North Central College men's track and field program has been recognized by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) with eight All-Academic Individual awards for the 2020 season. 
 
To qualify for the individual All-Academic award, student-athletes must have compiled a grade point average of 3.30 and have qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships or finish the season ranked in the national top 50 in an individual event or the top 35 in a relay event. 
 
Distance runner Thomas Rohr and middle-distance runner Brendon Sebastian are now two-time recipients of the distinction, while distance runners Matt Boelke, Julian Higueros and Braden Nicholson, sprinter Gavin Cernek, middle-distance runner Jonah Penningroth and pole vaulter/triple jumper Izaiah Webb are first-time honorees. North Central was also recognized as one of 150 Division III All-Academic Teams by the USTFCCCA, achieving a 3.11 cumulative GPA to achieve the team award for the fifth time in the last six seasons.
 
Rohr finished the season ranked 30th nationally in the 5,000-meter run (14:46.13), while Sebastian ranked 27th in the mile (4:15.11), 38th in the 800-meter run (1:54.93) and ran on the distance medley relay team that ranked 10th-fastest nationwide (10:05.07). Higueros and Penningroth ran with a distance medley relay quartet which ranked 19th nationally (10:10.51). 
 
Boelke ranked 45th in the nation in the 5,000-meter run (14:55.67), while Nicholson was 12th-fastest at 5,000 meters (14:37.86) and 18th-fastest at 3,000 meters (8:27.25). Cernek anchored the 4-by-400-meter relay team to the 12th-fastest time in the country (3:18.00) and Webb ranked 30th in the pole vault (15'3.50") and 42nd in the triple jump (46'4.25").
 
Cernek ran on first-place 4x400 and distance medley relay teams in the CCIW Indoor Championship on Feb. 29, while Webb won the pole vault as the Cardinals won their 19th conference indoor title in 20 years.
 
North Central's eight honorees are among 18 CCIW representatives on the All-Academic list. A total of 325 athletes from 107 Division III institutions received the distinction.