Cleveland named A-R-C Scholar-Athlete of the Year finalist
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Former Simpson College track and field standout Max Cleveland has been named a finalist for the 2023-24 Duane Schroeder Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award, as announced by the American Rivers Conference on Tuesday.
Cleveland joins Cael Schmitt (Coe, men's basketball) and Owen Grover (Wartburg, football) as this year's finalists. All three athletes will go before the full group of nine faculty athletics representatives for review and vote, with the winner slated to be announced on Jan. 8, 2025.
A three-time All-American, Cleveland graduated summa cum laude in May 2024 with a degree in human services, psychology, and religion. The Indianola, Iowa native achieved a 3.959 cumulative grade point average and was announced as the Division III Commissioners Association (DIIICA) National Scholar-Athlete of the Year earlier this fall. Cleveland also earned College Sport Communicators (CSC) Academic All-American honors in 2024, was a two-time academic all-district honoree, and earned A-R-C Academic All-Conference honors four times.
In volunteer and community service roles, Cleveland served as a youth group leader and counselor for seventh and eighth graders at Indianola Community Church. He volunteered at a local retirement community and at middle school and high school track meets. He engaged with the local youth at an annual Halloween Trunk or Treat and participated in Meals for the Heartland. Cleveland was an active member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and served as a Sexual Assault Response Advocate (SARA) on Simpson's campus.
Along with being a four-time national qualifier, Cleveland earned all-region accolades five times and was a six-time A-R-C All-Conference performer. He graduated from Simpson holding two school records.
"Max's athletic achievements speak for themselves," said James Hoffman, associate head track and field coach. "He not only excelled in his individual events, but also played a pivotal role in fostering a positive team environment and culture. His ability to motivate his teammates, combined with his competitive spirit, led our team to improve overall and see other teammates enjoy success over the last few years."
About Duane Schroeder A-R-C Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award
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 SID Emeritus and served as Wartburg's News Director until 2001. During much of his four decades at Wartburg, Schroeder served as the Conference's information director and secretary/treasurer.
