Cleveland tabbed regional student-athlete of the year
SUWANEE, Ga. – Recent graduate and three-time All-American Max Cleveland was announced as the Division III Commissioners Association (DIIICA) / Chi Alpha Sigma Male Region IX Student-Athlete of the Year on Thursday.
Cleveland and nine other regional winners will now advance to the national ballot for consideration for 2023-24 DIIICA Men's Sport Student-Athlete of the Year, which will be announced next month.
"We are thrilled for Max to win this award," said Heath Moenck, director of track & field and cross country. "He's a young man with high character who has been an incredible teammate and terrific competitor for us. We will miss him dearly as he's headed to graduate school, but I'm certain he's left a lasting legacy with our track and field team and the campus community."
Cleveland consistently demonstrated excellence both on the track and in the classroom while at Simpson. While triple majoring in human services, psychology and religion, Cleveland maintained a near-perfect grade point average of 3.959. He was recognized as an Academic All-American in 2024 by the College Sports Communicators (CSC) and was a four-time A-R-C Academic All-Conference honoree, three-time USTFCCCA All-Academic Individual, and two-time CSC Academic All-District recipient.
On the track, Cleveland earned three All-American trophies to go with five all-region and six all-conference honors. He earned First Team All-American honors at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 110-meter hurdles and Second Team All-American honors in the indoor 60-meter hurdles and outdoor 110-meter hurdles in 2024. He graduated with two school records (indoor 300 meters, indoor 60 hurdles) and was a four-time national qualifier.
Cleveland was also heavily involved in extracurriculars at Simpson and in the community. He served as a youth group leader and counselor for seventh and eighth graders at Indianola Community Church, volunteered at a local retirement community, volunteered at middle school and high school track events, engaged with local youth at an annual Halloween Trunk or Treat, and participated in Meals for the Heartland. His leadership skills came from being a captain of the men's track and field team, being a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Leadership Team, serving as a sexual assault response advocate (SARA) at Simpson, and being a member of the Psychology Honor Society and Light Company.
About the DIIICA Student-Athlete of the Year Award
The DIIICA Male and Female Student-Athlete of the Year Awards honor graduating student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service, and leadership.
The DIII membership is divided into 10 regions to name a regional award winner. Each region will select one female sport participant and one male sport participant to receive regional awards. Those individuals will be forwarded to the DIIICA Awards Committee for national consideration.
About the DIIICA
The Division III Commissioners Association became a stand-alone organization in January 1992, after previously serving as a combined group with the Division II Commissioners Association. The association is comprised of 43 NCAA Division III conferences, representing over 440 public and private institutions. The purpose of the DIIICA is to empower commissioners to effectively lead their conferences and positively impact Division III intercollegiate athletics by identifying challenges, developing solutions, and taking collective action that reflects the conference perspective.
About Chi Alpha Sigma
Chi Alpha Sigma is the first, and only, nonprofit organization that was established to recognize four-year college student-athletes who excel both on and off the field of competition. Founded in 1996 by then DePauw University head football coach, Nick Mourouzis, Chi Alpha Sigma continues to provide outstanding student-athletes with an opportunity to become connected within a fraternal association that aligns their educational and athletic successes for a lifetime. More than 200 of the 360-plus active Chi Alpha Sigma chapters nationwide are NCAA Division III institutions.
