CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) announced today that former Central College track & field student-athlete Will Daniels (Geneseo, Ill./Geneseo) has been named the A-R-C Duane Schroeder Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the 2018-19 school year. The award, the highest individual honor from the conference, goes to an alumnus from the previous academic year. 
 
The three-time NCAA national champion, Daniels was a standout track & field athlete for Central College. Winning the 2018 and 2019 Indoor heptathlon, and the 2019 Outdoor decathlon. Also, a three-time USTFCCCA Central Region Field Athlete of the Year, along with five All-Central Region nods in his three years with the Dutch. He became the first Dutch to ever win three NCAA Division III individual championships.
 
In the classroom, Daniels was named the 2019 Google Cloud/CoSIDA Men’s Track & Field Academic All-American of the Year, along with first-team honors in both 2018 and 2019. He graduated from Central College Summa cum Laude with a degree in Biology with a GPA of 3.98. Daniels was accepted into the University of Iowa’s Masters in Clinical Exercise Physiology. 
 
Will was voted a team captain his senior season for the Dutch Track & Field team and served as a Track/Cross Country Bible study leader. Daniels was actively involved in the Pella community and the Central College community. He volunteered at Third Church in Pella working with children’s ministry each Sunday, as well as being a huddle leader in the 2019 summer Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) sports camp. 

"I want to recognize all of the student-athletes who were nominated for our conference's highest honor," said A-R-C Commissioner Chuck Yrigoyen. "Will Daniels continued the rich tradition of Central College multi-event athletes while scoring points in many individual events. He made all that happen while being a standout student and substantial contributor to his local communities."
 
Athletic Achievements:

• NCAA Division III Indoor Championships place finishes:
  • 2018: 1st, heptathlon; 7th, high jump
  • 2019: 1st, heptathlon; 16th, high jump
• NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships place finishes:
  • 2017: 10th, high jump
  • 2018: 3rd, decathlon
  • 2019: 1st, decathlon
• A-R-C Indoor place finishes:
  • 2017: 1st, heptathlon; 3rd, high jump; 8th, long jump
  • 2018: 1st, high jump; 2nd, long jump; 3rd, 60-meter; 7th, pole vault
  • 2019: 2nd, pole vault; 3rd, 110-meter hurdles; 3rd, high jump; 3rd, long jump; 3rd, javelin throw
• A-R-C Outdoor place finishes:
  • 2017: 4th, high jump; 5th, decathlon; 6th pole vault
  • 2018: 1st, high jump; 3rd, pole vault; 4th, long jump; 5th, javelin throw; 8th, 110-meter hurdles
  • 2019: 2nd, pole vault, 3rd, 110-meter hurdles; 3rd, high jump; 3rd, long jump; 3rd, javelin throw
• USTFCCCA All-American:
  • 2018 Indoor
  • 2018 Outdoor
  • 2019 Indoor 
  • 2019 Outdoor
• USTFCCCA DIII Central Region Field Athlete of the Year (2018 Indoor, 2018 Outdoor, 2019 Indoor)
• All-Conference (2017 Indoor, 2018 Outdoor, 2019 Indoor, 2019 Outdoor)
• Two-time USTFCCCA DIII National Athlete of the Week
• Four-time A-R-C Male Athlete of the Week
• One-time A-R-C Men's Indoor Track Performer of the Week
• Five-time A-R-C Men's Indoor Field Performer of the Week
• Two-time A-R-C Men's Outdoor Field Performer of the Week
• Central College Most Valuable Player Award (2018, 2019)
• Central College Most Valuable Freshman Award (2017)
• Central College Co-Captain (2019)
• Central College Dutchies Male Athlete of the Year (2018)
• Three varsity letters
• Athletic Notables
  • First athlete in Central College history to win three individual NCAA DIII national championships
  • 7,427 points scored in decathlon May 22-23 at the 2019 NCAA DIII Outdoor Championships was second-highest score in Division III history
  • 5,441 points scored in the heptathlon on Feb. 1-2, 2019 at the Wartburg Select set the NCAA Division III record

Scholarly Achievements:

• Google Cloud/CoSIDA DIII Men's Track and Field Academic All-American of the Year (2019)
• Google Cloud/CoSIDA DIII Academic All-American, first team (2018, 2019)
• Google Cloud/CoSIDA DIII Academic All-District (2018, 2019)
• USTFCCCA Men's Indoor Field Scholar of the Year (2018, 2019)
• USTFCCCA Men's Outdoor Field Scholar of the Year (2019)
• USTFCCCA All-Academic Team (2017, 2018, 2019)
• All-Conference Academic Team (2018, 2019)
• Central College Presidential Scholarship
• Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship at Central College (summer 2018)
• Senior Biology Award from the Biology Department
• Central College Scholar-Athlete Award 
• Graduated Summa cum Laude
• Dean's List (2016-2019)
• Accepted into Master's Program in Clinical Exercise Physiology at the University of Iowa

Community / Campus Service:

• Volunteered weekly at the Family Birthing Center at the Pella Regional Health Center during the 2017-18 school year
• Volunteered at Third Church in Pella working each Sunday with children's ministry
• Volunteered as a huddle leader at the 2019 summer Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) sports camp
• Volunteered at six track camps for high school athletes at Central College

Leadership Activities:

• Captain on the Track and Field team for the 2018-19 season
• Participated in a track and cross country Bible study, serving as leader of this several times
• Led small groups as part of participation in Central's FCA Huddle 

 
What They Say About Will Daniels:
Jim Fuller, Associate Head Track and Field Coach, Central College 
“He worked to become a better runner and thrower, and much of that work was done during the summer on his own and during the offseason before he was allowed to work with coaches. His leadership of our multi-events workout group brought that group to new heights in terms of performance, as they surpassed all expectations over the past two seasons. I directly attribute those high-level performances to Will Daniels.”
 
Lee Macomber, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biology, Central College
“Impressively, he has excelled in every academic challenge and received the Senior Biology Award for the highest GPA among Biology majors. Mr. Daniels’s preparation and forethought made being his advisor a breeze. It is a testament to his capability and responsibility that his academic achievements were accomplished while being an active member of the winter and spring track teams.”
 
Lori L. Witt, Ph.D., Chair of the History Department, Central College
“Not only did Will work hard in his classes and on the track and field, but he took time to volunteer and to work with children and high school students. (Will) fully embodies the definition of a true scholar-athlete, and complements that with his service, leadership, and pursuit of music.” 
 
Also nominated for the 2018-19 A-R-C Duane Schroeder Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year were Buena Vista University track & field student-athlete Drew Beall, Luther College men’s soccer student-athlete Aidan O’Driscoll, and Wartburg College football standout Matt Sacia. 
 
The Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year is selected from among the finalists by a vote of the A-R-C Faculty Representatives (FAR).
 
About the Scholar-Athlete of the Year Awards
 
The American Rivers Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards were first presented in December 2001 for the 2000-01 academic year. To be eligible for nomination, a student-athlete shall have graduated or exhausted their athletic eligibility during the academic year for which the award is given. The nominee must have demonstrated a high level of accomplishment and achievement in a varsity sport, have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale), and show evidence of scholarly achievements, community service involvement, and leadership. Both awards were named for former Wartburg College and Conference sports information director Duane Schroeder in May 2002. The women’s award was renamed in December 2013 for former Luther College student-athlete Johanna Olson - the inaugural winner of the women’s award - who lost a courageous battle with cancer in January 2013. 
 
Previous recipients of the Duane Schroeder Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year include Tim Vinyard (2000-01, Coe College football and baseball), Dale Biser (2001-02 Cornell College football and track & field), Jesse Harris (2002-03, Simpson College basketball), Brent Showalter (2003-04, Wartburg College track & field), Garrett South (2004-05, Luther College wrestling), Adam Duerfeldt (2005-06, Central College baseball), Adam Bohach (2006-07, Luther College cross country and track & field), Kyle Duchman (2007-08, Wartburg College football), Alec Bonander (2008-09, Luther College wrestling), Tyler Burkle (2009-10, Coe College wrestling), Ryan Schisler (2010-11, Coe College baseball), Michael Zweifel (2011-12, University of Dubuque football), Wyatt Hanus (2012-13, University of Dubuque football), Kyle Freischlag (2013-14, Central College tennis), Daniel Bonthius (2014-15, Wartburg College track & field), Zach Frey (2015-16, Loras College track & field), Pat Gray (2016-17, Central College football), Timothy Sevcik (2017-18, Loras College cross country and track & field).
 
About Duane Schroeder
 
The American Rivers Conference Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year award is named in honor of the late Duane Schroeder, former sports information director (SID) at Wartburg College. Schroeder served as Wartburg’s SID for 43 years until his retirement in 2000. Upon his retirement from his sports information duties, he was named the SID Emeritus and served as Wartburg’s News Director until 2001. During much of his four decades at Wartburg College, Schroeder served as the Conference’s information director and secretary/treasurer.

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