Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
USTFCCCA All-Academic Individuals
USTFCCCA All-Academic Teams
July 23, 2021 - 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 six All-Academic Individual awards for the 2021 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 Matt Boelke is now a two-time recipient of the distinction, while pole vaulter Gavin Carr and distance runners Tim Bertulis, Matt Jett, Gabe Pommier and Connor Riss are first-time honorees. North Central was also recognized as one of 160 NCAA Division III All-Academic Teams by the USTFCCCA, achieving an all-time program best 3.19 cumulative GPA to achieve the team award for the sixth time in the last seven seasons.
Boelke ranked 18th nationally in the 5,000-meter run (15:05.58) and 42nd in the 3,000-meter run (8:46.88) during the indoor season and was 19th-fastest at 10,000 meters (30:34.61) outdoors. Carr, meanwhile ranked 25th in the pole vault indoors (14'7.50") and 44th outdoors (15'0.25").
Pommier posted the fastest mile time by any Division III competitor indoors (4:09.10) and did the same in the 1,500-meter run outdoors (3:46.63), winning North Central's fourth national championship in the event and posting the fifth-fastest time in the history of the Division III outdoor meet. Pommier also ranked 23rd in the nation outdoors at 800 meters (1:51.67).
Bertulis ranked 35th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (9:26.23), while Riss sat 29th in the indoor 3,000-meter run (8:41.76). Jett ranked 27th in the 5,000 (15:10.72) and 38th in the 3,000 (8:44.70) indoors and 48th in the 10,000 outdoors (31:25.30).
North Central's six honorees are among 33 CCIW representatives on the All-Academic list. More than 450 Division III athletes nationwide received the distinction.
