Carroll athletes
Steven Hermsen at the 2021 NCAA DIII Outdoor Track and Field Championships, where he was crowned the 2021 National Champion in the discus.

Pioneer athletics faced challenges as we all did during 2020, a year that forced a halt to play and out-of-season games, but student-athletes persevered and triumphed, racking up a list of notable accomplishments when they were finally able to compete.

Men’s & Women's Outdoor Track and Field

  • Four National Qualifiers (Junior Steven Hermsen – discus; Graduate student Emily Uitenbroek – hammer; freshman Vanessa Uitenbroek – discus; junior Morgan Davister – discus).
  • Steven Hermsen became a National Champion and All-American in the discus.
  • Emily Uitenbroek became a National Champion and All-American in the hammer.
  • Men’s team finished in third at CCIW conference championship, highest finish at the CCIW championship since 1970.
  • 32 all-conference award winners, including five conference champions (Steven Hermsen – discus and shot put; Emily Uitenbroek – hammer; Morgan Davister – discus; senior Spencer Kirsteatter – 10,000 meter).
  • Steven Hermsen and Emily Uitenbroek were named CCIW Field Athletes of the Conference Meet. Emily Uitenbroek broke the CCIW meet Hammer record. 
  • Three events had records broken (men’s discus, men’s hammer, women’s hammer).
  • Steven Hermsen was named USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week.
  • Six CCIW Athlete of the Week Winners (Steven Hermsen (x2), sophomore James Hinkley, Spencer Kirsteatter, Emily Uitenbroek, and Vanessa Uitenbroek).
  • Three USTFCCCA All-Region Selections (Steven Hermsen, Emily Uitenbroek, Vanessa Uitenbroek).
  • Associate Head Coach Pete Delzer was named USTFCCCA Midwest Region Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year.

Women’s Lacrosse

  • CCIW Co-Conference Regular Season Champs for the first time in program history.
  • First Carroll women’s program to ever be CCIW Champs.
  • Hosted and won first CCIW Tournament game against Illinois Wesleyan.
  • Advanced to Conference Championship game.
  • Program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance.
  • Four CCIW All-Conference selections (Seniors Clara Jeleaca, Michaela Johnson, Courtenay Karls, and sophomore Katrina Hardin).
  • Clara Jelacic was named first-team IWLCA All- Great Lakes Region.
  • Head Coach Mike Hodge was named CCIW Coach of the Year.
  • Four CCIW Athlete of the Week Winners (Clara Jelacic, Michaela Johnson, Katrina Hardin, and Courtenay Karls).
  • Clara Jelacic and Michaela Johnson both recorded 200 career points; Courtenay Karls tallied 100 career goals.

Softball

  • Qualified for second ever CCIW Conference Tournament.
  • Won its first two ever CCIW Tournament games.
  • Five all-conference selections (Senior Amanda Osterhus; juniors Sierra Grubor, Kaylee Learman, Maria Mundt, and sophomore Mathena Higgins).
  • Amanda Osterhus was named CCIW Pitcher of the Year.
  • Three CCIW Athlete of the Week Winners (Amanda Osterhus (x2) and Kaylee Learman).
  • Two All-Region Selections with the NFCA (Amanda Osterhus and Kaylee Learman).
  • Amanda Osterhus recorded over 700 career strikeouts.
  • Coach Amy Gradecki recorded her 200th career win.

Baseball

  • Finished fourth in the CCIW after being projected to finish ninth, tied for the highest Conference regular season finish in program history.
  • Qualified for its first ever CCIW Tournament, finishing third and making it to the final day of the tournament. 
  • Finished with the highest winning percentage in the CCIW since 1988.
  • Top 20 in the nation in regular season home runs with 40.
  • Senior Dylan Callahan set the single season double record, and broke the all-time RBI, double, and homerun records.
  • Senior Curtis Sheahan set the single season strikeout record.
  • Four all-conference selections (Seniors TJ Pfaffle, Dylan Callahan, Mitchell Massino, Curtis Sheahan).
  • Three CCIW Athlete of the Week Winners (Dylan Callahan and Curtis Sheahan and freshman Brett Buzzelli).
  • Coach Stein Rear recorded his 100th win at Carroll.
  • Two D3baseball.com Central All-Region selections (Dylan Callahan and TJ Pfaffle.
  • Two ABCA/Rawlings Central All-Region selections (Dylan Callahan and Junior Benton Holly).
Panoramic View of campus