From Case Western Reserve University Athletics
Case Western Reserve University senior Jack Begley was named the recipient of the Elite 90 Award for the 2022 NCAA Division III Men's Cross Country Championship. Begley received the honor during the award ceremony following the championship on Saturday afternoon in Lansing, Michigan.
Begley, majoring in Engineering Physics, has a 4.0 cumulative grade point average.
He is the sixth Spartan to win the Elite 90 award, joining men's tennis player Derek Reinbold (2014), cross country runner Sam Merriman (2016), swimmer Drew Hamilton (2018), softball player Katie Wede (2018), and men's tennis player Sahil Dayal (2022). He is also the third men's cross country runner and 30th student-athlete in the history of the University Athletic Association to claim the honor.
The Elite 90, an award founded by the NCAA, recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. The Elite 90 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the site of the finals for each of the NCAA's championships.
Eligible student-athletes are sophomores or above academically who have participated in a sport for at least two years with their school. All ties are broken by the number of credits completed.
Begley completed an outstanding athletic career as a Spartan on Saturday with a 53rd-place finish at the NCAA Championship meet. Earlier in the year, he earned All-UAA and All-Region honors.
For more information on the Elite 90 award winners, log on to https://www.ncaa.com/elite-90.