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

USTFCCCA All-Academic Teams
USTFCCCA All-Academic Individuals

Feb. 1, 2024 - The North Central College men's cross country team has been honored by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) for its continued record of combined excellence in academics and athletics, earning All-Academic Team honors for the 11th consecutive season. Eight Cardinal student-athletes have also qualified for All-Academic Individual Awards, including the USTFCCCA's NCAA Division III Men's Scholar Athlete of the Year Award.

North Central achieved a cumulative grade-point average of 3.48 during the fall semester, the second-highest in its history. The Cardinals are among 194 Division III programs for the award, which requires a cumulative GPA of 3.1 on a 4.0 scale, and join Augustana College, Carthage College, Elmhurst University, Illinois Wesleyan University and Wheaton College in representing the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW).

North Central senior Max Svienty has been named the Division III Men's Scholar Athlete of the Year, presented annually to the highest-placing student-athlete at the national championship to meet the USTFCCCA All-Academic threshold of a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.30. Now a three-time All-Academic honoree, Svienty placed third at the 2023 championship in Newville, Pennsylvania, helping lead North Central to a third-place finish in the team competition. An elementary education major and this year's recipient of the CCIW Elite 26 Award recognizing the student-athlete with the highest grade-point average among All-Conference finishers at the CCIW Championship, Svienty is the second member of the North Central program to receive the Scholar Athlete of the Year award, joining Dhruvil Patel in 2018. 

To qualify for individual All-Academic honors, student-athletes must have a cumulative GPA of 3.30 on a 4.0 scale and finish in the top-25 percent of their respective regional championship meet. Joining Svienty on the All-Academic list are Drew Guimond, Matt Jett, Jacob Kluckhohn, James McGlashon, Braden Nicholson, Connor Riss and BJ Sorg. Riss is also a three-time selection, while Guimond and Nicholson are two-time honorees. 

The Cardinals' eight award recipients are among 12 from the CCIW and 348 student-athletes across 124 institutions nationwide.

North Central's third-place finish at the 2023 national championship marks the 43rd time in 50 Division III championship meets that the Cardinals have placed among the top four teams.

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