Individual & Relay National Championships Team Conference Championships
1,421 1,035
All-America Awards National Academic Awards
*6th in Division III and 25th among all NCAA divisions. North Central is one of just two Division III institutions to win at least one national title in each of the last six decades.
DEAR CARDINAL ATHLETICS ALUMNI, PARENTS, AND FRIENDS,
Cardinal Athletics enjoyed a fantastic year in 2024-25!
Our football team capped off an undefeated campaign by capturing their third national title in the past five seasons with a win at the Stagg Bowl on January 5, 2025 – live for the nation to witness on ESPN. Women’s triathlon won its third consecutive team national title (their sixth overall), as Hailey Poe ’25 earned an unprecedented fourth consecutive individual national title. Women’s wrestling finished as national runners-up for the second year in a row. The men’s cross country team won an incredible 50th straight CCIW team championship – winning the conference every year since NCAA Division III was started!
Women’s wrestlers Amani Jones ’25 and Sydney Petzinger ’25 both won individual national titles on the mat, while Braden Nicholson ’24 / M ’26 won national titles in the indoor 3,000-meter run and the outdoor 10,000-meter run. Luke Lehnen ’24 won the Gagliardi Trophy as the top Division III football player for the second consecutive year, and Hailey Poe won USA Triathlon’s alldivision Alexander Award. Women’s wrestling was the top program in the Scholar All-American Team rankings, and Brad Spencer ’04 and Joe Norton ’10 / M ’13 received National Coach of the Year recognitions in football and women’s wrestling, respectively.
In the classroom and while competing, our exemplary student-athletes and coaches make Cardinal Athletics one of the best programs in the country. The Department of Athletics continues to make great progress on its goals to improve the overall health and wellbeing of our student-athletes. We are proud of our continued efforts to create a culture of community, opportunity, and belonging.
Your support for Cardinal Athletics is vital to our continued success. Whether you support the general athletics fund, a specific team, or the Women in Sports Fund, your generosity is truly appreciated.
Looking ahead, we are excited to welcome back more than 800 student-athletes for the 2025-26 school year and our staff is prepared to support them in their academic and athletic pursuits. You, our loyal fans and supporters, are always invited to campus to attend a competition and cheer on our Cardinals.
Thank you for your enthusiastic spirit and generosity! GO CARDS!
Sincerely,
JIM MILLER ’86 Senior Director of Athletics North Central College
Scan to support Cardinal student-athletes. northcentralcollege.edu/athletic-giving
Standout Student-Athletes
Elle Sutter ’24 / M ’25
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Elle Sutter used her final season of eligibility with the women’s soccer team and led the Cardinals to their second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance in 2024. She was named CCIW Offensive Student-Athlete of the Year for the second straight year and earned USC Third Team All-America honors. Sutter set new program records with 76 career goals, 181 points and 29 assists. She also excelled academically, becoming the College’s first CSC Academic All-American of the Year. Sutter finished her career as a two-time USC Scholar All-American and two-time CSC Academic All-American.
Braden Nicholson ’24 / M ’26
MEN’S TRACK & FIELD
Ramon Vilarroig Martinez ’25 MEN’S TENNIS
Ramon Vilarroig Martinez finished his fifth and final season as the program’s all-time leader in both singles (93) and doubles (92) victories, posting a career winning percentage of .809. He helped lead the Cardinals to three CCIW championships and three NCAA Tournament appearances. A five-time All-CCIW selection, Vilarroig Martinez was also named CCIW Player of the Year twice.
Braden Nicholson made the most of his final year of eligibility, winning two NCAA Division III national titles for the Cardinals’ men’s track and field program. He captured the 3,000-meter run at the 2025 indoor championships, then followed with a victory in the 10,000-meter run at the 2025 outdoor championships. For his performance at nationals, Nicholson was named the USTFCCCA Midwest Region Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year. The two titles also earned him All-America honors, bringing his career total to seven.
Coaching Excellence
At NC, we don’t just coach athletes…we build leaders, teammates, and people of purpose. The studentathlete experience here is special, rooted in connection, accountability, and the belief that every individual matters. When our athletes commit to each other, they leave with more than memories, they leave ready to lead in every arena of life!”
RACHEL GRAY
HEAD COACH, MEN’S & WOMEN’S GOLF
Cardinal athletics play a pivotal role in fostering a sense of community and promoting personal growth for our student-athletes. Our culture promotes a strong work ethic, both on and off the field, which positively influences how they interact within the college community and life after college.”
ENZO FUSCHINO HEAD COACH, MEN’S SOCCER
NATIONAL GIRLS & WOMEN IN SPORTS DAY
Five Cardinal women studentathletes participated in the College’s celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day by serving on a panel to support women in athletics at North Central.
CLEO TANNER AWARD
Student Impact
The Cleo Tanner Award is presented annually to an individual or individuals who have positively influenced women’s athletics at North Central College and is presented in conjunction with the College’s National Girls and Women in Sports Day Celebration.
2025 AWARD WINNER: KATIE MCNEELA ’14
McNeela was a standout member of the women’s soccer team from 2010 to 2014, leading the Cardinals to the program’s first CCIW Tournament appearance in 2012. She anchored a defensive unit that secured six shutouts during the 2011 season, was second on the team in goals scored in 2013, and earned Academic All-CCIW honors all four years. McNeela graduated with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and organizational communication with a minor in psychology, and she currently works in digital marketing.
During my first campus visit, I remember the distinct feeling that I wasn’t just another name on a roster. The coaches didn’t just talk about wins and losses; they talked about growth, community, and impact.”
KATIE MCNEELA ’14
The faculty at North Central College want to see you succeed and are willing to help in any way they can. You just have to ask. I’ve spent lots of time in office hours for my engineering and physics courses working through homework problems with my professors. Without their support, I wouldn’t have been able to exceed in my academics.”
MADDI BARICKMAN ’25
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
UBelong
The UBelong social media series features first-person perspectives from student-athletes and coaches about their experience in Cardinal Athletics. It accompanies a schedule of large- and small-group events throughout each academic year to promote community and belonging among student-athletes.
EVENTS
The Athletics Department’s Inclusion Team (IT) holds Critical Conversations throughout the academic year along with RISE to Win sessions for student-athletes. In total, more than 800 Cardinals attended these events around the central theme of their “Journey to Belonging.”
IT, led by Assistant Athletic Director for Community and Belonging Brian Johnson ’95 / M ’15, is a group of athleticminded staff members who serve as the foundation of the Cardinals’ community and belonging initiative at North Central College.
SOCIAL MEDIA
IT produces UBelong videos with North Central student-athletes and coaches that are posted on the NCC Athletics Instagram and X accounts. Additionally, NCC Athletics posted content throughout the year to highlight a wide variety of heritages, backgrounds, and experiences within Cardinal athletics. These social media initiatives received more than 150,000 interactions between Instagram and X.
I have the privilege to work in an environment where I get to amplify voices and add perspectives to the studentathlete experience.”
BRIAN JOHNSON ’95
/ M
’15
ASSISTANT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR FOR COMMUNITY AND BELONGING
Beyond NC
Austin Scott ’25 MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
An All-CCIW student-athlete and winner of the CCIW’s 2025 Respect Award, Austin Scott always had his eye on the ball when he was on the volleyball court. Off the court, he has an eye for design. The graphic design major worked as a student-assistant in the College’s athletics communication office and won multiple national awards for his game day graphics. The hard work paid off. Scott is currently interning for Major League Baseball as part of their digital design team in New York.
Hailey Poe ’25 WOMEN’S TRIATHLON
Hailey Poe capped her historic athletic career as a four-time individual national champion in triathlon, leading the Cardinals to three consecutive team national titles. She was recognized as USA Triathlon’s Alexander Award winner for her success on the racecourse and in the classroom. Named North Central’s 2025 Outstanding Major in Sport Management, Poe was accepted into the Woods College of Advancing Studies at Boston College where she will pursue a master’s degree in sports administration.
NCAA POSTGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT
LINDSEY NOVAK ’25 earned an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship in Spring 2024, becoming North Central’s first women’s track and field recipient and the school’s eighth awardee overall, joining Hailey Poe who was awarded in the fall. A 10-time All-American and 13-time CCIW champion, Novak holds school records in six events.
Academically, Novak is a CSC Academic All-America selection, three-time Academic All-District honoree, three-year Academic All-CCIW pick, and two-time CCIW Jack Swartz Award winner. A member of Psi Chi and Alpha Eta honor societies, she served as a psychology preceptor and tutor in statistics and physical therapy while gaining clinical experience at Progressive Physical Medicine and Midwest Orthopaedics. She earned her psychology degree in 2023 and will complete her doctorate in physical therapy in 2026.
Raising the Bar
The College’s annual Day of Giving has become a critical fundraising opportunity for athletics teams and programs. Women’s soccer has taken that opportunity and supercharged it.
In 2025, the team raised over $100,000 in 24 hours with a multi-faceted campaign that engaged supporters young and old, near and far.
“We use Day of Giving to generate funds for our program, and we do that by making it about the experience for our studentathletes,” said Coach Andrew Gamarra. We
Funds are used for everything from team bonding experiences to resources that aid in student-athlete nutrition and recovery, as well as team travel to compete against top-ranked programs across the country.
Ultimately, it’s about raising the bar for the entire program.
“There have been so many prolific programs at North Central,” said Gamarra. “If you want to become one of those, you have to challenge yourself against other top programs.”
ANDREW GAMARRA HEAD COACH, WOMEN’S SOCCER
BILL MITCHELL DONOR AND FRIEND OF NORTH CENTRAL COLLEGE
Women’s Wrestling Locker Room Renovation
Naperville resident, University of Iowa wrestling alumnus and friend of the College, Bill made a lead gift toward the renovation of the women’s wrestling locker room located in Merner Field House. Once complete (fall 2025), the project will directly impact the studentathletes of multiple women’s programs who utilize the space, including softball and volleyball.
Help Support North Central College Athletics
Gifts in support of Cardinal Athletics are crucial to providing our student-athletes with the opportunity to excel both academically and athletically. Generosity from donors empowers our student-athletes to reach their full potential, enables the development of resources to enhance the overall student experience, and fosters a sense of North Central pride. Whether you support a specific athletic program, the Women in Sports Fund or the general Athletics fund, your gift serves as a constant reminder that it is always a GREAT day to be a Cardinal!
3 WAYS TO
Scan the QR code or visit
JARED BOGAN M ’10 Director of Parent and Family Engagement and Athletic Giving
Athletics Administrative Team
Jared Bogan M ’10 Director of Alumni and Family Engagement and Athletics Giving jbogan@noctrl.edu
Dr. Brittany James ’10 / M ’15 Assistant Director of Athletics for Health Care; Director of Sports Medicine bajames@noctrl.edu
Brian Johnson ’95 / M ’15 Assistant Athletics Director for Community and Belonging bkjohnson@noctrl.edu
James Kluckhohn Associate Athletics Director for Compliance and Internal Operations jckluckhohn@noctrl.edu
Eileen McBrien Administrative Assistant, Department of Athletics emmcbrien@noctrl.edu
Jim Miller ’86 Senior Director of Athletics jlmiller@noctrl.edu
Kate Perry M ’20 Athletics Events and Facilities Coordinator; Assistant Women’s Soccer Coach kmperry@noctrl.edu
Venus Taylor Head Softball Coach, Senior Woman Administrator vtaylor@noctrl.edu
2024 Hall of Fame Inductees
(From left to right)
Dominic Sulo ’10 Football
Johnny Crain ’14 Cross Country / Track & Field
Josh Delancy ’10 Football
Madison Renfro ’16 Houser Track & Field
Amanda Laesch ’10 / M ’12 Spain Cross Country / Track & Field
