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

2023 Spring Academic All-CCIW Honorees

June 15, 2023 - North Central College has released its list of 109 recipients of the Dave Wrath Academic All-College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Award for the 2023 spring season. The Cardinals also honor their two Jack Swartz Academic All-Conference honorees, women's track and field student-athlete Lindsey Novak and men's volleyball student-athlete Jeremy Cardenas. 

The Dave Wrath Academic All-Conference list comprises those individuals that achieved an overall grade-point average of 3.30 or above and have served at least one year in residency at their respective schools. 

The Dave Wrath Academic All-Conference award is named after the former Augustana College athletics administrator. Wrath retired in June 2021 as the Associate Director of Athletics for Media and Alumni Relations, serving the Vikings for 40 years. In addition to his duties at Augustana, Wrath served as the CCIW Sports Information Director from 1996 to 2005 and was instrumental in establishing the CCIW's Academic All-Conference Program in 2005.

Additionally, the CCIW announces the recipients of the Jack Swartz Academic All-Conference award. Each CCIW member institution selects two student-athletes (one men's athlete & one women's athlete) from each of the three sports seasons (fall, winter, spring) to be honored as Jack Swartz Academic All-Conference members. To be eligible, an individual must have an overall grade point average of 3.50 or above and have served at least one year in residency at their respective institution.

The Jack Swartz Academic All-Conference award is named after the former Wheaton College Director of Athletics and CCIW Commissioner. Swartz served in the Athletics Director role from 1975-1982 and as CCIW Commissioner from 1987 until his passing on July 11, 1997.

Novak, a psychology major who graduated summa cum laude from North Central in May, was also a Jack Swartz Award honoree during the 2023 winter season. Novak earned All-America honors twice at the Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships, placing fifth in the 400-meter dash and eighth in the 200-meter dash to become the first in program history to be so honored in both events. Novak won the 200 and 400, along with the 4-by-100- and 4-by-400-meter relays, at the CCIW Outdoor Championships and was voted the CCIW's Track Athlete of the Meet. Novak finishes as the Cardinals' all-time record holder in the indoor 200- (25.00) and outdoor 100- (11.94) and 200-meter (24.34) dashes. Novak led North Central to its fourth straight CCIW outdoor championship.

Cardenas, a double major in finance and marketing who also graduated summa cum laude in May, earned American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Second Team All-America accolades as the Cardinals went 25-4 overall, including a 10-0 mark in CCIW play, and claimed CCIW regular-season and tournament titles. North Central advanced to the championship match of the Division III Men's Volleyball Championship behind Cardenas' 199 kills, .425 hitting percentage and a program-record 104 total blocks.

Click HERE to view all of North Central's past Academic All-CCIW and Jack Swartz Award winners. For a complete list of honorees from each CCIW institution, visit cciw.org.

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