Cardinal Sports

CARDINAL FOOTBALL DENIED SECOND NATIONAL TITLE

Team awarded multiple honors

Despite its loss in the NCAA Division III national football championship game, the North Central College football team (13-1) finished with a record haul of All-America honors with six student-athletes named to the 2021 D3football.com All-America Teams. This year’s selections were announced just prior to the Cardinals’ appearance in the national championship game, the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, on Dec. 17, 2021.

Senior cornerback Jake Beesley, senior offensive lineman Sharmore Clarke, junior running back Ethan Greenfield and senior wide receiver Andrew Kamienski each claimed First Team honors, while junior defensive lineman Dan Gilroy was recognized on the Third Team and senior linebacker Ben Wong was named to the Fourth Team. In addition, Wong received the NCAA Elite 90 Award, presented to the student-athlete with the highest grade-point average at each national championship. Both Wong and Beesley were selected to the 2021-2022 College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) NCAA Division III Academic All-America First Team in recognition of their continued adherence to the highest standards of excellence in academics as well as athletics.

Jake Beesley '21

The team finished the 2021 campaign with a total of 14 All-America Awards. Clarke and Kamienski claimed All-America awards from the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and the Associated Press (AP), while Beesley, Greenfield and Gilroy were also recognized by the AP. Clarke is a First Team AP All-America selection for the third straight season, while Beesley, Greenfield and Kamienski are second-time honorees.

The Cardinals were denied in their quest for a second straight NCAA Division III national championship by the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas), 57-24. To get to the final game, North Central had to travel to the University of Mount Union. They dismantled the fourth-ranked Purple Raiders, 26-13, to advance to a second straight national championship game.

Two additional postseason wins came against the University of Wisconsin- La Crosse, 34-20, in the second round, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (New York), 55-6, in the quarterfinal.

It was North Central’s second straight appearance in the championship, following the program’s first national title in 2019.

Ethan Greenfield '22

Cardinal soccer players and coaches honored for outstanding season

Johnny Kraemer ’23 of Oswego, Ill., and Sid Marquardt ’24 of Hartland, Wis., were named to the men’s United Soccer Coaches Division III All-American teams, the first in program history and first All-Americans head coach Enzo Fuschino has coached in his career. In addition, Fuschino and his staff earned the United Soccer Coaches’ Regional Coaching Staff of the Year Award for Region VIII.

Kraemer earned First-Team honors. He led the Cardinal defense that only allowed 10 goals and a team record 14 shutouts in a single season. Kraemer started all 21 games and scored five of his six season goals on penalty kicks.

Johnny Kraemer ’23

Marquardt earned Second-Team honors. In net this season, he posted a 14-2-1 record tallying 63 saves and only allowing nine goals. Marquardt led the country and the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) in shutouts this season with 12.

Sid Marquardt ’24

The Cardinals finished with a 18-2-1 record and claimed their first CCIW Championship in program history. In the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the team lost to Loras College 2-1.

Elle Sutter ’24 of Peoria, Ill., was named to the women’s United Soccer Coaches’ Third Team in the Central Region. Sutter finished the 2021 campaign with nine goals, five assists, and 23 points. She helped the Cardinals to their first appearance in the CCIW Championship game in program history. The women’s soccer program’s 12 victories broke the program record for wins in a season.

Elle Sutter '24

In addition, Kimberly Egan ‘23 was named to the 2021 NCAA Division III Academic All-American Third Team, nominated and voted upon by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Poe ’25 wins individual championship at nationals

In a battle against the dry heat and a new course, the women’s triathlon team came away with a third-place team finish, an individual champion, and the Freshman of the Year award at the USA Triathlon Collegiate National Championship in Tempe, Ariz. The 2021 Freshman of the Year Hailey Poe ’25 of Bridgeville, Pa., stole the lead early on in the race as she was the first to break from the water nearly 10 seconds ahead of the next competitor. Poe finished as the individual national champion in a time of one hour, 12 minutes, and one point five seconds.

Pommier ’22 named cross country All-American

Gabe Pommier '22 (in the Cardinal pinstripes).

At the NCAA Division III Cross Country National Championship at E.P. State Park in Louisville, Ky., Gabe Pommier ’22 of Mahomet, Ill., became a cross country All-American for the second time (2019). Pommier turned in a time of 24 minutes and six point two seconds, a personal best by nearly 30 seconds.