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

USTFCCCA All-Academic Individuals
USTFCCCA All-Academic Teams

July 13, 2023 - The United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) has recognized the North Central College women's track & field team for its success in both athletics and academics, awarding the Cardinals the Team Academic Award for the 17th consecutive season and naming 10 student-athletes to the individual All-Academic list.
 
The Cardinals earn the honor after posting a team grade-point average of 3.397 for the academic year. To be eligible for the award, institutions must be USTFCCCA members and compile a team GPA of 3.10 or better. A total of 215 NCAA Division III women's programs made the list this season, including College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) rivals Carthage College, Elmhurst University, Illinois Wesleyan University, Millikin University, North Park University and Wheaton College.
 
The Cardinals' individual award winners include a rare five-time honoree in thrower Alexandra Draves, while hurdler Julia Babinec is a three-time honoree and pole vaulter Natalie Johnson, multi-event athlete Hannah Jones, and sprinter Lindsey Novak are recognized for the second time. First-time honorees include pole vaulter Gwen Berenyi and sprinters Annie Brandt, Marcedes Jackson, Kyla Miller and Cali Minkie. To qualify for All-Academic individual honors, student-athletes must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.30 and rank among the top 50 nationally in an individual event or the top 35 in a relay event.

Draves, an MBA graduate student, improved her own North Central indoor record in the 20-pound weight throw to 62 feet, 3.75 inches (18.99 meters) with a second-place finish at the Division III Indoor Championships in March after winning the CCIW title in the event for the second straight year. Draves placed first in the CCIW and 10th in the nation in the hammer throw outdoors.

Babinec, a master's student in higher education leadership, finished first in the 4-by-400-meter relay and second in the 60-meter hurdles at the CCIW Indoor Championship before finishing 16th in the preliminary heats at the indoor national championship. After winning the 400-meter hurdles and finishing second in the 100-meter hurdles at the CCIW Outdoor Championships, Babinec closed the outdoor campaign with a 10th-place showing in the 4-by-100-meter relay and a ninth-place effort in the 100-meter hurdles.

Johnson, a health science major, placed first in the CCIW in the pole vault indoors and second outdoors, while Jones, a biology major, finished fifth in the pentathlon at the CCIW Indoor Championship. before finishing first in the javelin throw, third in the heptathlon and fourth in the 400-meter hurdles at the outdoor CCIW meet. Jones finished the season by teaming with Brandt (elementary education major), Miller (exercise science) and Minkie (sociology) to place 16th in the 4x400-meter relay at the Division III Outdoor Championship.

Novak, a psychology major, won the 200-meter dash and 4x400 relay while placing second at 400 meters and fourth at 60 meters at the CCIW Indoor Championship and established a new North Central indoor record for the 200 (25.00), before placing 13th in the 400 and 16th in the 200 at the Division III Indoor Championship. Novak was recognized as the CCIW Track Athlete of the Meet at the outdoor conference championship, winning the 200- and 400-meter dashes as well as the 4x100 and 4x400 relay events. Novak set new North Central outdoor records at 100 meters (11.94), 200 meters (24.34) and the 4x100 relay (46.22). Jackson, an MBA graduate student, also ran on the record-setting relay team with Novak and won the CCIW outdoor title in the 100-meter dash after placing third in the 60-meter dash at the CCIW Indoor Championship.

Berenyi, a management major, won the CCIW outdoor championship in the pole vault after placing second in the CCIW indoor meet. Brandt, an elementary education major, ran on the Cardinals' 4x400-meter relay 
 
A total of 583 Division III student-athletes from 166 institutions made the list, including 32 from the CCIW.
 
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